2.2 Animal Tissue, Organs and Systems Flashcards
What is the main function of the digestive system?
To digest food and absorb the nutrients obtained from digestion.
What are the pancreas and the salivary gland and what is their role in the digestive system?
They are glands which produce digestive juices containing enzymes which digest food.
What is the role of the stomach in the digestive system?
Produces hydrochloric acid which:
- Kills any bacteria present .
- Provides the optimum acidic pH for the protease enzyme to function.
What is the role of the small intestine in the digestive system?
The site where soluble food molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream.
What is the role of the liver in the digestive system?
Produces bile (stored in the gallbladder) which:
- Emulsifies lipids
- Allows the lipase enzyme to work more efficiently.
What is the role of the large intestine in the digestive system?
Absorbs water from undigested food, producing faeces.
What is the role of enzymes in the digestive system?
To act as biological catalysts which speed up the rate of biological reactions (the breakdown of food) without being used up.
How does the shape of an enzyme affect its function?
Enzymes have a specific active site which is complementary to their substrate.
What is metabolism?
The sum of all the reactions in a cell or an organism.
What types of metabolic reactions do enzymes catalyse? (3)
- Breaking down larger molecules into smaller molecules eg. carbohydrates to glucose.
- Building larger molecules from smaller molecules eg. glucose to starch.
- Changing one molecule to another eg. glucose to fructose.
What is the lock and key hypothesis of enzyme function?
The shape of the enzyme active site and the substrate are complementary, so can bind together to form an enzyme-substrate complex.
How does temperature affect enzyme action? (3)
- Up to a certain point, increasing temperature increases enzyme action, as molecules have a higher kinetic energy.
- Above the optimum temperature, the shape of the active site is altered and the enzyme becomes denatured, so it can no longer catalyse the reaction.
What is the optimum temperature for enzyme action?
Around 37°
How does pH affect enzyme function?
If the pH is too extreme, the shape of the active site may be altered and the enzyme may no longer work.
What is the optimum pH for most enzymes? What is the exception? (2)
The optimum pH for most enzymes is 7 (slightly alkali conditions) apart from proteases in the stomach which is 2 (acidic conditions).
Where are carboghydrases, proteases and lipases produced in the body?
- Carbohydrases: salivary gland and pancreas (amylase); small intestine (maltase).
- Proteases: stomach (pepsin); pancreas and small intestine (others).
- Lipases: pancreas and small intestine.
What is the role of carbohydrases ( in the digestive system? What are the role of amylase and maltase?
To break down carbohydrates into monosaccharides and disaccharides (simple sugars).
- Amylase breaks down starch into maltose (made up of two glucose molecules).
- Maltase breaks down maltose into glucose.
What is the role of proteases in the digestive system?
To break down proteins into amino acids.
What is the role of lipases in the digestive system?
To break down lipids into fatty acids and glycerol.
How are the products of digestion used? (2)
- To build bigger molecules such as carbohydrates and proteins.
- Glucose is used as a substrate in respiration.
Where is bile made and stored in the body?
Bile is made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder.
What is the role of bile in the digestive system? (3)
- Neutralise the hydrochloric acid secreted by the stomach (it is an alkaline substance).
- Emulsify lipids to form droplets, increasing the surface area for the lipase enzyme to work on.
What is the heart?
An organ that pumps blood around the body.
What is the purpose of the circulatory system? (2)
- Carries oxygen and other useful substances to bodily tissues.
- Removes waste substances.
How does the double circulatory system work? (2)
- One pathway (right) carries blood from the heart to the lungs, which is where the gaseous exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
- One pathway (left) carries blood from the heart to the tissues.
Where does blood pumped by the right ventricle go?
The lungs
Where does blood pumped by the left ventricle go?
Body tissues
Why is the double circulatory system important; how? (2)
It makes the circulatory system more efficient - for example, oxygenated blood can be pumped around the body at a higher pressure by the left ventricle around the whole body.
How many chambers does the heart have and what are they called?
4 - right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, left ventricle.
Why is the wall of the left ventricle thicker?
The left ventricle has to pump blood at a higher pressure around the whole body.
What are the four main blood vessels associated with the heart and what are their roles?
- Aorta (left) - carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body.
- Pulmonary vein (left) - carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.
- Vena cava (right) - carries deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart.
- Pulmonary artery (right) - carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.
What is the purpose of valves in the heart?
Prevent the backflow of blood.
What is the purpose of coronary arteries?
To supply the heart muscle with oxygenated blood.
Describe the process of blood flow through the heart.
- Blood enters the right atrium through the vena cava, and the left atrium through the pulmonary vein.
- The atria contract, forcing blood into the ventricles and causing valves to shut.
- After the ventricles contract, blood in the right ventricle enters the pulmonary artery (to the lungs) and blood in the left ventricle enters the aorta (to the body).
What is the approximate value of the natural resting heart rate?
70 beats per minute.
How is the heart rate controlled? (2)
It is controlled by a group of cells in the right atrium which act as a pacemaker. They release waves of electrical activity which cause the heart muscle to contract.
How can an abnormal (irregular) heart rhythm be treated?
Using an artificial pacemaker, which sends out electrical signals to correct the heart’s rhythm.
What are the three types of blood vessel in the body?
- Arteries
- Veins
- Capillaries
What is the role (function) of arteries?
To carry blood away from the heart.
How are arteries adapted for their function? (2)
- Thick muscle layer adds strength to resist high pressure.
- Thick elastic layer allows arteries to stretch and recoil (in order to withstand high pressure).