What homeostasis leaves out: Kinorhesis, a physiological principle of transformation N. D. Horseman Kinorhesis, a principle of transformation

Abstract

Every physiology textbook and course teaches about homeostasis as a fundamental theory or organizing principle of physiology, and the predominating emphasis in teaching physiology is on the maintenance of a ‘stable internal milieu’ as originally articulated by Claude Bernard (). Despite the extraordinary impact of the theory of homeostasis, there are transformative life-cycle events that cannot be explained by homeostasis. And transformative life-cycle processes, like homeostasis, are ubiquitous in nature. Organisms experience these episodes of transformation as they undergo development and re