Biology Forums - Study Force

Why do organisms need to maintain homeostasis?

There are many chemical reactions that occur in living organisms.  Homeostasis or the maintenance of a stable internal environment is essential for these reactions to occur efficiently.  If the body is thrown out of homeostasis, as in the case of illness, the reactions may not occur at all, causing various symptoms.  Example, a high temperature is the body's way to kill the invading bacteria but it also will cause some proteins to lose their native conformation and not function properly.

Metabolic reactions work at optimal levels within limited ranges of temperature, pH, and other factors. When the body is outside those ranges, metabolism functions at less than optimal levels, which may cause illness or even death.