Which process helps a body adapt to changes in its external environment?

Homeostasis is the process that helps a body adapt to changes in its external environment by maintaining a stable internal environment despite fluctuations outside. This involves various physiological processes that regulate factors such as temperature, pH, hydration, and electrolyte balance. For instance, if the external temperature rises, the body will engage in processes like sweating to cool down, demonstrating how it maintains equilibrium internal conditions necessary for survival.

While feedback mechanisms are indeed crucial components of homeostasis and help regulate these internal conditions, they are part of the overall homeostatic processes rather than the primary process itself. Thermoregulation specifically refers to the body's mechanisms for regulating temperature, which is a specific aspect of homeostasis. Metabolic adaptation refers more broadly to the changes in metabolic processes in response to environmental shifts but does not encompass the entirety of how the body maintains stable internal conditions. Hence, homeostasis is the most encompassing and correct answer when considering adaptation to external changes.