5.1.1 - Communication and homeostasis Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What type of equilibrium does the body maintain ?

A
  • Dynamic equilibrium
    • There are fluctuations over a narrow range of conditions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the maintenance of dynamic equilibrium called ?

A

Homeostasis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What two things are essential for the body to maintain a dynamic equilibrium ?

A

Receptors and effectors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the role of sensory receptors ?

A

They detect changes in the internal and external environment of an organism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What things are monitored in homeostasis ?

A
  • pH of the blood
  • Core body temperature
  • Concentration of ions in the body
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Where is information from the sensory receptors sent ?

A

It is transmitted to the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What happens when information reaches the brain ?

A

Impulses are sent along the motor neurones to the effectors to bring about changes to restore the equilibrium in the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are effectors ?

A

Effectors are the muscles or glands that react to the motor stimulus to bring about a change in response to a stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the two types of feedback systems ?

A
  • Positive feedback systems
  • Negative feedback systems
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What do feedback systems allow to happen ?

A

They allow for a maintenance of a relatively steady state around a narrow range of conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are most of the feedback systems in the body ?

A

Negative feedback systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Describe the overall role of a negative feedback system

A
  • A small change in one direction is detected by sensory receptors
  • As a result, effectors work to revers the change and restore conditions back to their base levels
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What do negative feedback systems work to do ?

A

They work to reverse the initial stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Give an example of a negative feedback in action

A

The control of blood sugar levels by insulin and glucagon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Describe the overall role of a positive feedback system

A

A change in the internal environment of the body is detected by sensory receptors, and effectors are stimulated to reinforce that change and increase the response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are some examples of positive feedback systems ?

A
  • Blood clotting cascade
  • Production of oxytocin during childbirth
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is thermoregulation ?

A

The maintenance of a relatively constant core body temperature to maintain optimum enzyme activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are some of the processes involved in heating up and cooling down ?

A
  • Exothermic chemical reactions
  • Latent heat of evaporation
  • Radiation
  • Convection
  • Conduction
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is radiation ?

A

The transmission of EM waves to and from the air, water or ground

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is convection ?

A
  • The heating and cooling by currents of air or water
  • Warm air rises
  • Cool air sinks
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is conduction ?

A

Heating as a result of the collision of molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What can animals be classified as ?

A
  • Ectotherms
  • Endotherms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What does ectotherm mean ?

A
  • Outside heat
  • They use their surroundings to warm their bodies
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the core body temp of ectotherms dependent on ?

A

The environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What species fall under the ectotherm term ?

A
  • All invertebrate animals
  • Fish
  • Amphibians
  • Reptiles
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Why do ectotherms that live in water not need to thermoregulate ?

A

The high heat capacity of water means that the temperature of the environment does not change much

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Why do ectotherms that live in water have to thermoregulate ?

A
  • The temperature of the air is constantly changing
  • Can be very different between both seasons and days
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Why do ectotherms that live in water have to thermoregulate ?

A
  • The temperature of the air is constantly changing
  • Can be very different between both seasons and days
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What does endotherm mean ?

A
  • Inside heat
  • They use their internal responses to warm their bodies
30
Q

What is the core body temp of endotherms dependent on ?

A

They rely on their metabolic processes to warm up and they usually maintain a very stable core body temp regardless of the environment

31
Q

Why do endotherms have to consume more food than ectotherms ?

A

This is because the metabolic rate of endotherms is very high

32
Q

What behavioural responses have ectotherms developed that increase the radiation they absorb from the sun ?

A
  • They may bask in the sun
  • Orientate their bodies so that the maximum surface area is exposed to the sun
  • Extend areas of their body to increase the surface area exposed to the sun
33
Q

What behavioural responses have ectotherms developed that decrease the radiation they absorb from the sun ?

A
  • Shelter from the sun by seeking shade
  • Hiding in cracks in rocks
  • Press their bodies against cool, shady earth or stones
  • Move into water or mud
  • Orientate their bodies so that the minimum surface area is exposed to the sun
34
Q

What are some of the physiological responses to warming displayed by animals ?

A
  • Animals living in colder climates tend to be darker coloured than lizards living in hotter countries so they get warmer
  • They can alter their heart rates to increase or decrease their metabolic rate
35
Q

Who is more vulnerable to fluctuations in the environment ?

A

Ectotherms

36
Q

Why do ectotherms need less food than endotherms ?

A

This is because they use less energy regulating their temperatures, and so they can survive in some very difficult habitats where food is in short supply

37
Q

What is the role of peripheral temperature receptors ?

A

They are in the skin and detect changes in the surface temperature

38
Q

What do temperature receptors in the hypothalamus detect ?

A

They detect the temperature of the blood deep in the body

39
Q

What do the temperature receptors in the hypothalamus act as ?

A

The thermostat of the body

40
Q

What is the core temp of the body ?

A
  • 37 degrees
    • between 36-38
41
Q

What do endotherms use to keep warm ?

A

Their internal exothermic metabolic activities

42
Q

What do endotherms use to cool down ?

A

Energy requiring physiological responses

43
Q

What are some of the behavioural responses of endotherms ?

A
  • Basking in the sun
  • Pressing themselves to warm surfaces
  • Wallowing in water and mud to cool down
  • Digging burrows to keep warm or cool
44
Q

What is hibernation ?

A

Becoming dormant through the coldest weather

45
Q

What is aestivation ?

A

Period of prolonged or deep sleep similar to hibernation but occurs in the summer or during dry seasons to avoid heat stress

46
Q

What are some of the behavioural adaptations of humans to help control body temperature ?

A
  • Clothes are worn
  • Houses are built
  • Heating in houses
47
Q

What are some of the ways that endotherms cool down ?

A
  • Vasodilation
  • Increased sweating
  • Hair/feathers lying flat
48
Q

What happens to the arterioles when the temperature rises ?

A

Arterioles near the surface of the skin dilate

49
Q

What happens to the arteriovenous shunt vessels when the temp rises ?

A

They constrict

50
Q

What are arteriovenous shunt vessels ?

A

They are the vessels that provide a direct connection between the arterioles and the venules

51
Q

What does the constriction of the arteriovenous shunt vessels cause ?

A
  • This forces blood through the capillary networks close to the surface of the skin
  • The skin flushes and cools as a result of radiation
52
Q

How does sweating differ as core temp increases ?

A

Sweating increases as the core temperature starts to increase

53
Q

What happens as the sweat evaporates from the surface of the skin ?

A

Heat is lost, controlling the blood below the surface of the skin

54
Q

What happens to the erector pili muscles as body temperature increases ?

A
  • The erector pili muscles in the skin relax
  • The hair or feathers of the animal lie flat to the skin
  • This avoids trapping an insulating layer of air
55
Q

What are some of the adaptations that endotherms have to cool down ?

A
  • Large SA:V ratio to maximise cooling
  • Pale fur or feathers to reflect radiation
56
Q

What are some of the ways that endotherms warm up ?

A
  • Vasoconstriction
  • Decreased sweating
  • Raising body hair or feathers
  • Shivering
57
Q

What happens to the arterioles when the temperature decreases ?

A

Arterioles near the surface of the skin constrict

58
Q

What happens to the arteriovenous shunt vessels when the temp decreases ?

A

They relax

59
Q

What does the relaxing of the arteriovenous shunt vessels cause ?

A
  • Very little blood flows through the capillary networks close to the surface of the skin
  • The skin looks pale and very little radiation takes place
60
Q

How does sweating differ as core temp decreases ?

A
  • Sweating decreases as the core temperature starts to decreases
  • Sweat production will stop entirely
61
Q

What is the effect of no sweat being produced ?

A

It reduces cooling by the evaporation of water from the surface of the skin

62
Q

What happens to the erector pili muscles as body temperature decreases ?

A
  • The erector pili muscles in the skin contract
  • The hair or feathers of the animal are erect
  • This traps an insulating layer of air and so reduces cooling through the skin
63
Q

What is shivering ?

A

It is the rapid involuntary contracting and relaxing of the large voluntary muscles in the body

64
Q

How does shivering warm someone up ?

A

The metabolic heat from the exothermic reactions warm up the body

65
Q

What are the adaptations of a polar bear to stay warm ?

A
  • Small ears
  • Fur on their feet to insulate from ice
  • Hairs are hollow so trap a permanent layer of insulating air
  • Skin is black, so absorbs radiation
  • Thick layer of fat under the skin
66
Q

What are the two centres of thermoregulation ?

A
  • Heat loss centre
  • Heat gain centre
67
Q

When is the heat loss centre activated ?

A

When the temperature of the blood flowing through the hypothalamus increases

68
Q

What does the heat loss centre do ?

A
  • It sends impulses through autonomic motor neurones to effectors in the skin and muscles
  • Triggering responses that act to lower the core temperature
69
Q

When is the heat gain centre activated ?

A

When the temperature of the blood flowing through the hypothalamus decreases

70
Q

What does the heat gain centre do ?

A
  • It sends impulses through autonomic nervous system to effectors in the skin and muscles
  • Triggering responses that act to raise the core temperature
71
Q

What does the heat gain centre do ?

A
  • It sends impulses through autonomic nervous system to effectors in the skin and muscles
  • Triggering responses that act to raise the core temperature