Homeostatic capacity refers to the capability of systems to self-stabilize in response to external forces or
stressors
A stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event seen as causing stress to an organism. Psychologically speaking, a stressor can be events or environments that individuals might consider demandi ...
, or more simply the capability of systems to maintain
homeostasis
In biology, homeostasis (British English, British also homoeostasis) Help:IPA/English, (/hɒmɪə(ʊ)ˈsteɪsɪs/) is the state of steady internal, physics, physical, and chemistry, chemical conditions maintained by organism, living systems. Thi ...
. For living
organisms
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fungi; ...
, it is life's foundational trait, consisting of a hierarchy and network of traits endowed by nature and shaped by natural selection. Homeostatic capacity comprises a
multidimensional network
In network theory, multidimensional networks, a special type of ''multilayer network'', are networks with multiple kinds of relations. Increasingly sophisticated attempts to model real-world systems as multidimensional networks have yielded valuab ...
of traits and operates at all scales of
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
systems levels including molecular, cellular, physiological, and organismal.
Human homeostatic capacity
In the context of human beings, homeostatic capacity refers to the inherent ability of the body to self-stabilize in response to external and internal
stimuli
A stimulus is something that causes a physiological response. It may refer to:
*Stimulation
**Stimulus (physiology), something external that influences an activity
**Stimulus (psychology), a concept in behaviorism and perception
*Stimulus (economi ...
. Homeostatic capacity of the human body erodes with age.
Homeostatic capacity and aging
A hypothesis proffered by the proponents of the Palo Alto Longevity Prize is that the array of ailments associated with aging may be epiphenomena of eroding homeostatic capacity and the process of
aging
Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
may be halted or reversed by restoring homeostatic capacity to that of a healthy young adult.
See also
*
Senescence
Senescence () or biological aging is the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics in living organisms. The word ''senescence'' can refer to either cellular senescence or to senescence of the whole organism. Organismal senescence inv ...
References
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Ageing
Human homeostasis