B5 Flashcards
What is Homeostasis?
The ability of the body to maintain a constant internal environment
How is homeostasis used in the human body?
It’s used to keep the blood glucose concentration, the body temp and water levels constant
What is the job of a nervous system?
Its enables humans to react to their surroundings and to co-ordinate their behaviour
What are neurones?
Nerve cells
What are receptor cells?
They detect a stimulus and send electrical impulses down the neurones to the central nervous system
What is the central nervous system?
It’s the co-ordination centre that sends other neurones to the effectors
What are the effectors?
A muscle which contracts and brings about a response
What is a synapse?
A gap between two neurones
What happens when you touch a hot object?
- You touch the object
- Stimulation of the pain is detected by the receptor
- Impulses travel along the sensory neurone
- Impulses are passed along a relay neurone, via a synapse
- Impulses travel along a motor neurone, via a synapse
- When impulses reach the muscle, it contracts
Investigating reaction time
- Person 1 sits on stool, upright posture and places dominant arm across the table
- Person 2 holds a ruler vertically
- 0cm mark should be between person 1s thumb & forefinger
- Person 2 drops ruler at random time
- Person 1 catches as fast as possible
- Person 2 records the measurement at which person 1 caught the ruler
- Test is repeated several times for mean to be calculated
What is the endocrine system?
The human reproduction system
What are the key glands in the endocrine system?
Pituitary gland - produces many hormones, called the master gland
Thyroid - produces hormones involved in growth
Adrenal gland - releases the hormone adrenaline
Testes - produces testosterone
Pancreas - produces insulin, to regulate blood glucose level
Ovaries - produces oestrogen
What is type 1 diabetes?
Where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin
What is type 2 diabetes?
Person becomes resistant to their own insulin
What is ovulation?
When the egg is released every 18 days
