A feedback loop in which a system responds to a change by returning to its original state is called which type of loop?

• A. Negative feedback loop
• B. Positive feedback loop
• C. Homeostatic control
• D. Feedback mechanism

Answer: (A)

Negative feedback loops counteract a deviation from the set point by producing responses that oppose the initial change, returning the system toward its original state. This is how the body keeps conditions stable, like maintaining a constant core temperature. If you get too hot, mechanisms such as sweating and vasodilation act to lose heat and bring temperature back down. If you get too cold, shivering and vasoconstriction help generate and conserve heat to restore the normal range.

A positive feedback loop, by contrast, amplifies changes rather than correcting them, driving the system away from the set point until an event stops the process (for example, labor or blood clotting). Homeostatic control is the broad idea of maintaining stability, while a feedback mechanism is a general term that doesn’t specify the direction of the response.