balance

(bal′ăns)

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[Fr. balance fr. L. bilanx, bilancia, double scale]

1. A device for measuring weight; a scale.
2. A condition in which the intake and output of substances such as water and nutrients are approx. equal; a state of equilibrium.
SEE: homeostasis
3. Coordination and stability of the body in space. Normal balance depends on information from the vestibular system in the inner ear, from other senses such as sight and touch, from proprioception and muscle movement, and from the integration of these sensory data by the cerebellum.

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