6.4 homeostasis Flashcards
define homeostasis
the maintenance of an organisms internal environment
define glucoregulation
keeping blood sugar levels constant
define thermoregulartion
keeping body temperature constant
define osmoregulation
keeping water and ion levels constant
what is positive feedback
where a deviation from the normal conditions is amplified leading to further deviation, however this can lead to harmful and unstable conditions
give example of positive feedback
oxytocin stimulates uterine contraction triggering a positive feedback reaction where more oxytocin is released leading to more contractions
what is exocrine function
secretes digestive enzymes into pancreatic duct
what is endocrine function
secretes hormones (insulin and glucagon) directly into blood
3 ways to increase blood glucose levels
- digestion of carbohydrates
- breakdown of glycogen called glycogenolysis
- producing glucose from non-carbohydrate compounds called gluconeogenesis
3 ways to decrease blood glucose levels
- when a demand for energy increases such as exercise respiration levels will increase and therefore glucose levels decrease
- lack of intake of carbohydrates/sugars
- glucose is converted and stored as glycogen by glycogenesis
3 ways insulin affects target cells
- vesicles containing glucose carrier proteins are stimulated to move and fuse with the cell membrane
- more glucose is taken up by the cell
- enzymes that convert glucose to glycogen are activated
what is the difference between α and β cells
α cells - make glucagon
β cells - make insulin
what do the pancreatic cells do
surround the small tubules which drain into the pancreatic duct. These produce the pancreatic juice made of amylase, tropomyosin and lipase
what happens when there is a rise in blood glucose concentration
- detected by β cells in the islets of langerhans
- β cells secrete insulin into the blood
- insulin is detected by receptors on liver and muscle cells
- liver and muscle cells remove glucose from blood and convert glucose to glycogen
- glucose concentration falls
what happens when there is a fall in blood glucose concentration
- detected by α cells in the islets of Langerhans
- α cells secrete glucagon into the blood
- glucagon detected by receptors on liver cells
- liver cells convert glycogen to glucose and release glucose into the blood
- glucose concentration rises
where is adrenaline produced
arenal gland
what does adrenaline do
increases metabolic rate preparing the body for fight or flight
does adrenaline enter the cell
no
describe the two messengers in adrenaline
first messenger is a hormone that transmits a signal around the body
second messenger is a molecule inside the cell which causes an affect
what is the action of adrenaline (3 steps)
- adrenaline approaches receptor site
- adrenaline fuses to receptor forming a adrenaline-receptor complex and in doing so activates an enzyme inside the membrane
- the activated enzyme converts ATP to cyclic AMP which is the second messenger activating other enzymes in turn converting glycogen to glucose
describe type 1 diabetes
insulin dependant as the body cannot produce enough insulin. thought to be caused by the immune system attacking the insulin producing beta cells
type 1 can be controlled with regular insulin injections and the careful management of diet and exercise
describe type 2 diabetes
insulin indépendant caused by glycoprotein receptors on the body cells losing their responsiveness to insulin or an inadequate supply of insulin from the pancreas
can be controlled by careful regulation of diet and exercise
what is hyperglycaemia
occurs when the blood glucose concentration becomes too high. this can lower the water potential of the blood, causing osmotic problems such as dehydration as water is drawn out of cells
what is hypoglycaemia
occurs when the blood glucose concentration becomes too low. this can occur when there is no store of glycogen causing cells to be deprived of energy