B5 COPY Flashcards
What does the lungs do?
Transfers Oxygen to the blood
-Contain alveoli where oxygen diffuses into and carbon dioxide diffuses out.
How are the alveolar specialized to maximise the rate of diffusion?
- Large surface area
- Very thin walls
What is the role of the Villi?
The Villi increases the surface area so that digested food can be absorbed quickly into the blood.
What is the role of the Arteries?
To carry blood away from the heart
- thick walls as blood come out at a high pressure
- walls able to spring back(extend)
What is the role of the Capillaries?
To exchange substances in blood
- supply oxygen and take away carbon dioxide
- 1 cell thick to allow fast diffusion
What is the role of the Veins?
To carry blood back to the heart
- large lumen, thin walls as blood travels at a slow pace
- contain valves to prevent back flow
What is the role of Plasma?
To transport substances round your body
-E.g, red blood cells and white blood cells
What is the role of the red blood cell?
To carry oxygen around the body.
What does the Central Nervous System do?
The CNS coordinates a response and sends a message to an effector which performs the response.
What do Neurons do?
Electrical impulses are passed along the axon of a neuron, which is surrounded by a fatty sheath. The fatty sheath insulates and speeds up the impulse.Neurons have branched endings, where they connect with other neurons.
What does the brain consist of?
Brain stem
-controls unconscious activities, e.g breathing.
Cerebral Cortex
-Responsible for memory and language etc.
Cerebellum
-Responsible for conscious movement
What methods do we use to study the brain?
- Study patients with brain damage
- Electrically stimulate the brain
- fMRI scans
Why is treating brain problems tricky?
- Treatment could lead to permanent damage
- Ethical issues-e.g some people may not be able to consent
- Some areas of the brain extremely hard to access
What are Hormones?
Hormones are chemical messengers sent in the blood
What is Adrenaline?
Adrenaline is a hormone released by the adrenal glands.
Adrenaline increases blood flow-faster heart rate, more aerobic respiration