What do we call the body's tendency to maintain a steady state of balance?

The body's tendency to maintain a steady state of balance is referred to as homeostasis. This term encompasses the various physiological processes that organisms use to regulate their internal environment, keeping conditions such as temperature, pH levels, and glucose concentration stable despite changes in the external environment. Homeostasis is vital for survival as it allows the body to function optimally, ensuring that all systems work cohesively.

While metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life, it is more about the conversion of food into energy and building blocks for cellular function rather than the broader concept of balance within the body. Equilibrium generally refers to a state of balance but is often used in a more general sense and may not specifically apply to biological systems. Stability could indicate a state of consistency, but it lacks the specific biological context that homeostasis provides regarding the active process of maintaining balance within internal systems.