Question

1. respond to the environment / maintain homeostasis

living things live in a constant connection with the environment, which includes the air, water, weather, temperature, any organisms in the area, and many other factors. these external environmental factors act as stimuli and can cause a response from living things. organisms need to respond to the changes in order to stay alive and healthy. for example, if you go outside on a bright summer day, the sun may cause you to squint. perhaps the bark of an approaching dog causes you to turn your head quickly. just as you are constantly sensing and responding to changes in your environment, so are all other organisms. for example, a specialized leaf of the venus flytrap senses the light footsteps of a soon - to - be - digested green bottle fly. the plant responded to this environmental stimulus by rapidly folding the leaf together.
an organism must respond to changes in the internal environment as well. internal conditions include the level of water, nutrients, and minerals inside the body. it also refers to body temperature and hormone levels. adjustments to internal changes help organisms maintain a stable internal environment. the regulation of an organisms internal environment to maintain conditions suitable for life is called homeostasis. or you can just think of it as keeping everything in balance! for example, you have a \thermostat\ in your brain that reacts whenever your body temperature varies slightly from 37°c (about 98.6°f). if this internal thermostat detects a slight rise in your body temperature on a hot day, your brain signals your skin to produce sweat. sweating helps cool your body.
the ability of mammals and birds to regulate body temperature is just one example of homeostasis. mechanisms of homeostasis enable organisms to regulate their internal environment, despite changes in their external environment.

1. what are some environmental factors (stimuli) that organisms respond to?
2. organisms must also respond to _____________ factors in order to stay healthy & survive.
3. what are two internal factors that organisms respond to?

Explanation:

1. The text lists air, water, weather, temperature, and presence of other organisms as environmental factors (stimuli) that organisms respond to.
2. Organisms must respond to internal factors to stay healthy and survive as stated in the text.
3. The text mentions water - level, nutrient - level, mineral - level, body temperature, and hormone levels as internal factors. Two examples can be body temperature and hormone levels.

Answer:

1. Air, water, weather, temperature, presence of other organisms.
2. Internal
3. Body temperature, hormone levels.