feedback

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feedback The use of part of the output of a system to control its performance. In positive feedback, the output is used to enhance the input; in negative feedback, the output is used to reduce the input. Many biological processes rely on negative feedback. As the population of a species expands, so its food supply per individual is diminished; the result is that the population then begins to fall. Many biochemical processes are controlled by feedback inhibition. Feedback mechanisms play an important role in maintaining a state of equilibrium within an organism (see homeostasis).

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