What is the term for the phenomenon where the body adapts to stressors and looks to maintain homeostasis?

The term that describes the body's process of adapting to stressors while striving to maintain homeostasis is General Adaptation Syndrome. This concept, developed by Hans Selye, outlines how the body responds to stress in three distinct stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

In the alarm stage, the body initially reacts to a stressor by preparing for a "fight or flight" response, activating the sympathetic nervous system and releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. The resistance stage follows, where the body attempts to adapt to the persistent stressor, utilizing resources to maintain balance and function effectively despite the ongoing challenge. If the stress continues without adequate recovery, the exhaustion stage can occur, leading to depleted resources and diminished performance.

This term captures the comprehensive process of adaptation to various types of stress, be it physical, psychological, or environmental challenges, while continuously aiming to restore and preserve physiological equilibrium. Other options such as recovery focus more on the recuperation aspect rather than the entire adaptive process, metabolic adaptation refers to shifts in energy expenditure and nutrient utilization, and homeostatic imbalance highlights a failure to maintain equilibrium rather than the adaptation process itself.