Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

GCSE SCIENCES > B3: Organism-level Systems > Flashcards

B3: Organism-level Systems Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
GCSE Geography - AQA flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route B flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route B flashcards
1
Q

what is a voluntary action

A

an action that occurs as a result of you consciencely deciding that you want to do something.

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

What is a reflex action

A

involuntary reactions that occur without thinking by missing out the brain as this means the reaction can take place faster,normally 0.2 seconds and happen when you are in danger

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

The reflex arc pathway

A

stimulus-receptor-sensory neurone-spinal cord-motor neurone-effector-response

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

voluntary action pathway

A

stimulus-receptor-sensory neurone-spinal cord-brain-spinal cord-motor-effector-response

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

stimulus

A

change in the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

receptors

A

group of cells that detect the change in environment

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

effectors

A

where the response occurs from and can be muscles or glands.Muscles respond by contracting and glands responf by relseasing hormones

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

what do receptor cells do

A

change the stimulus into electrical impulses that travel along neurones to your CNS

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

What is the CNS

A

-central nervous system
-made up of the brain and spinal cord
-very delciate so are protectd by bones.Skull protects brain,backbone protects spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

light’s receptor cell and sense organ

A

r-light
so-light

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

chemical’s receptor cell and sense organ

A

r-taste
so-tounge

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

pressure and heat’s receptor cell and sense organ

A

rc-pressure and temperature
so-skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

chemical’s receptor cell and sense organ

A

r-smell taste
so-nose

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

sensory neurone

A

carries electrical impulses from receptor cells to the CNS

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

relay neurones (reflex arc only)

A

-carry electrical impulse from sensory neurone to motor neurone across the spinal cord

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

motor neurones

A

carry electrical impulses from the CNS to effectors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

nerves

A

the term to describe the bundles of the the hundreds or even thousands of neurones found together

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

cornea

A

transparent coating on the front of the eye that protects the it and also refracts incoming light

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

pupil

A

the central hole in the iris that allows light to enter the eye

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

iris

A

coloured ring of muscle tissue that altars the size of the pupil by contracting or relaxing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

lens

A

transparent bioconvex lens that focuses light clearly onto the retina

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

ciliary body

A

ring of muscle tissue that altars the shape of the lens

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

suspensory ligaments

A

ligament tissue that connects the ciliary muscle to the lens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

optic nerve

A

nervous tissue that carries nerve impulses to the brain.

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

how are images formed

A

cornea refracts incoming light rays that provides most of the focus to the incoming light.The light then passes through the pupil and then refracted again by the lens,which creates a sharp image on the retina.Photoreceptors in the retina produce a nervous impulse when exposed to light.This impulse travels down the optic nerve to the brain and the brain intereprets these impulses as a vidual image

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

what happens when the ciliary muscles contract

A

your lens becomes more convex(wider) and you can focus on nearby objects

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

what happens when the ciliary muscles relax

A

your lens becomes less convex(thinner).Your can focus on distant objects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

short sightedness

A

when distant objects appear blurry and is caused by a person’s lens being too strong or by the eyeball being too long.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Long sightedness

A

when a person cannot focus on short distanced objects and caused by a persons lens being too weak or the eyeball being too short

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

what is the two types of photoreceptors in the retina

A

rods and cones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

rods

A

responsive to light,not different colours, and allow you to see in low levels of light.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

cones

A

respond to different colours and different cone cells respond to red and green light

33
Q

whats the most common form of colour blindness

A

red-green and is genetically inherited and usually affects males

34
Q

What is the function of the brain

A

process all info collected by receptor cells about stimuli.Also recieves and proccesses imformation from your hormonal system

35
Q

what does having a brain mean for neuronal communication

A

much faster

36
Q

what is the brain protected by

A

skull

37
Q

cerebrum

A

complex behaviour-learning and memory for example

38
Q

cerebellum

A

controls posture,balance and involunatry movements

39
Q

medulla

A

controls heart and breathing rate

40
Q

hypothalamus

A

regulates temperature and water balance

41
Q

pituarity gland

A

stores and relseases hormones that regukate many body functions

42
Q

what did scientists used to do in order to study brain function

A

placed electrons inside animal brains.These would trasmit electrical impulses,which result in movement in different parts if the aminla’s body.This enabled scientists to link an area of the brain to the region of the body it controls.

43
Q

CT scans(computed tomography)

A

use X-rays to create 3D images of the inside of the body.the position of any abnormalities can be linked with changes in a patients behaviour.Not used regulalry as X-r-ray radiation increases the risk of cancer

44
Q

MRI(magnetic resonance imaging)

A

use powerful magnets to identify brain abnormalites.A new technquice callled fMRI(functional MRI) produces images in real time and so scientisits can identify areas of the brain that show increased blood flow,areas that are active when a person is carrying out a specific activity

45
Q

CNS

A

brain and spinal cord

46
Q

PNS

A

all neurones that connect CNS to rest of body

sesnory and motor

47
Q

types of nerve damage

A

injury
disease
genetic disease
ingesting a toxic substance like lead

48
Q

what does damage to the nervous system do

A

prevents impulses from being passed effectively through the nervous system

49
Q

what are the effects of nervous system damage

A

an inability to detect pain
numbness
loss of coordination

50
Q

can PNS regenerate

A

yes,but limited.

minor will self heal and more severe can be treated through surgery

51
Q

What can damage to the CNS lead to

A

-loss of control of body systems
-partial or complete paralysis
-memory loss or processing difficulties

-the CNS cannot regenertae so any damage is permanent unless manually corrected by surgery

52
Q

why is is difficult to treat spinal cord

A

has 31 pairs of nerves each with many nerve fibres,making it difficult to indentify and repair damage to an individual nerve fibre.Could lead to disability or permanent loss of function

53
Q

why is is difficult to treat brain

A

made up of delicate and fragile tissue.

54
Q

how can we treat the brain

A

radiotherapy and chemotherapy-treating brain tumours
surgery-removing damaged brain tissue
deep brain stimulation-inserting an electrode to stimuate brain function

55
Q

what are hormones

A

chemical messengers that are made in endocrine glands and are secretes in the blood in the plasma

-cause a response in specific cells that are found in target organs

56
Q

homeostasis

A

when your body internally regulates and changes to fit the change in external environment

57
Q

what do the hypothalamus and pituitarty glands do

A

produce hormones that regulate the production of other hormones

58
Q

what gland produces throxine

A

thyroid

59
Q

what do the adrenal glands produce

A

adrenaline

60
Q

what produces insulin

A

pancreas

61
Q

what do the ovaries produce

A

oestrogen and progesterone

62
Q

what do the testes produce

A

testosterone

63
Q

target cells

A

hormones will diffuse out of the blood and bind to specific receptors for that hormone,found on the membrane or is the cytoplasm of cells in the target organs.Once bound to their recptors,the hormones will stimulate the target cells to produce a response

64
Q

what is the endocrine system

A

all the endocrine glands and the hormones that they produce.Controls and coordinates body processes with the nervous system.They send information about how the body should respond to a change in environment

65
Q

nerves

A

very fast
electrical impulse along the axon of a neuron
short acting
very precise

66
Q

hormones

A

slower
in the blood
longer acting
larger area

67
Q

thyroxine

A

hormone produced in the thyroid gland that regulates the body’s metabloic rate(rate of energy tansfer in order to perform its functions)

68
Q

what is the function of the thyroid gland

A

take iodine found in many foods and convert it into thyroxine by combining it with the amino acid tyrosine

69
Q

what is adrenaline

A

secreted by adrenal glands and prepares the body for intensive action when stressed.’fight or flight response’

70
Q

negative feedback

A

a control method the body uses to keep internal conditions constant

71
Q

what does thyroxine control

A

how much energy is available to cells

72
Q

How are thyroxine levels controlled when there is less thyroxine that needed

A

when body needs more energy hypothalamus cause pg to release TSH and this stimulates thyroid gland to release thyroxine.This increases the metabolic rate allowing cells to transfer additional energy

73
Q

how are thyroxine levels controlled when there is more thyroxine than needed

A

the hypothalamus inhibits the production od TSH.The thyroid gland therefore stops releasing thyroxine

74
Q

how are adrenaline levels controlled

A

in times of stress,the brain signals the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline,when stress is removed the signlas stop

75
Q

what does adrenaline even do

A

-you respire more quickly to increase the rate of ATP production
-increase the rate of breathing
-increase heart rate
-diverting blood to muscles

76
Q

what is the menstrual cycle

A

monthly cycle which a woman’s body gets ready for pregnancy and is usually 28 days

77
Q

ovulation

A

happens 14 days into the cycle and is where an egg starts to mature

78
Q

menstruation

A

the matured egg is put on the uterus lining,if not fertilised the uterus lining and egg are removed from the body

79
Q
A

GCSE SCIENCES (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions