Homeostasis is a notion that is accepted uncritically and without a full appreciation of all it implies. Thus, the word ‘homeostasis’ is often used rather loosely. It is often used synonymously with ‘balance’. I question whether ‘homeostasis’ and ‘balance’ are interchangeable terms.
Another name for a set of scales is a balance. Balance implies equality between two opposing sides. However, the body does not have two sides. While it does have an input and an output, what goes on in between is more important. There is a myriad of interconnected processes. To maintain a steady internal state, often input and output must be out of balance.
We should, I believe, try to avoid ideas of ‘balance’. Such thinking is a remnant of the past. The ancients believed that a healthy body consisted of four balanced humours. The four humours have been banished from science. The tendency to think in terms of balance has not.
