B5 homeostasis and response Flashcards
Describe how the nervous system coordinates a reflex action when touching a hot object
Receptor cells in the skin detect a stimuli, creating an impulse to pass along neurones. Impulses pass from sensory to relay to motor neurones. There are synapses between neurones where chemicals known as neurotransmitters diffuse over. Motor neurones carry impulse to the muscles (effectors) contract to quickly pull the hand away from the hot object.
What are 3 differences between the endocrine and nervous system?
- Endocrines coordination is slower
- Endocrines coordination lasts longer
- Hormones in the endocrine system travel through blood not by impulses
How can MRI scanners that allow a patient with brain damage to move help neuroscientists learn more about the brain?
Make patient do an activity ie read a book to see which part of the brain is active in patients to see where the damage is by comparing with someone that has no brain damage.
Describe how the brain receives information about light entering the eye
The retina has light sensitive receptor cells that create an impulse. The impulse passes along the sensory neurone and along the optic nerve where the impulse goes to the brain to process the image.
RPA 7: how do you improve accuracy? (4)
- drop ruler from same height
- measure the same distance between thumb and forefinger
- use a computer (records to miliseconds)
- Use a ruler with a more precise scale with a higher resolution ie mm
RPA 7: 2 factors affecting reaction time?
- Age
- Caffeine
RPA 7: explain the effect of increasing caffeine on reaction time.
As volume of caffeine increases reaction time increases
RPA 7: explain why there may be a negative result.
The person’s reaction time was greater (took longer)
RPA 7: explain why it is not a reflex pathway.
It is not an automatic response as it uses the conscious part of the brain.
RPA 7: what is the advantage of using a computer?
- More accurate as avoids predicting when person will drop the ruler (random error)
- More precise as higher resolution (to milliseconds)
How does a persons eye adjust to see a nearer object?
The ciliary muscles contract (inwards) so they have a smaller diameter
The suspensory ligaments loosen
The lens is then thicker and so light rays refract more strongly so image focuses on the retina
Explain why long sighted people struggle to see near objects.
They have hyperopia so the lens cannot be thickened enough and so is too flat. Therefore light does not refract enough so light focuses behind the retina.
Describe how structures conduct a reflex action.
Receptor detects a stimuli and generates an impulse to be carried along neurones. Impulses are carried along sensory neurones to relay neurones to motor neurones. There are synapses (small gaps between neurones) which chemicals called neurotransmitters diffuse over and bind to receptors to stimulate impulses in the next neurone. Impulses travel along the motor neurone to the effector which carries out the response, ie - a muscle contracting.
What short sightedness and how is it corrected?
Myopia is when light doesn’t focus on the retina but in front of it as the lens is too thick/curved and can’t be made thin enough so light refracts too much. It is corrected by using a concave lens which refracts light less as light rays are bent outwards so that the image focuses on the retina.
What is a synapse?
A small gap between neurones at each junction
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemicals which are released at the end of a neurone and diffuse across a synapse, binding to (receptors on) the next neurone to carry on an electrical impulse
Explain the iris reflex in bright light.
The pupil constricts. This is due to circular muscles contracting (towards its centre) and radial muscles relaxing. Therefore less light enters the eye, avoiding eye damage.
Explain why the brain cools when cold water is drank.
Blood is cooled at the mouth so cooled blood flows to the brain
How does the body respond to a decrease in temperature?
- TC has temperature receptors that detect change in blood (and so body) temperature
- Blood vessels constrict (vasoconstriction) where blood flows closer to the core and is the skins blood supply is shut off so less energy is lost to the surroundings (by radiation)
- Person stops sweating so less heat lost as evaporation
- Person shivers by rapid muscle contraction, releasing heat energy from the respiration for warmth
This warms the blood which warms the body
How does the body respond to an increase in body temperature?
- Vasodilation - blood vessels dilate and blood flows to the surface of the skin so more heat is lost by radiation
- Sweating to lose heat by evaporation
- Cools the blood, which cools the body
How does vasodilation work in decreasing body temperature?
Blood vessels dilate so blood flows to the surface of the skin so more (heat) energy is lost by radiation to the surroundings which cools the blood which cools the body.
What does the thermoregulatory system and skin have receptors sensitive to?
- Temperature of the blood
- Skin has receptors sensitive to temperature of skin and sends nervous impulses to the thermoregulatory centre
How does a person focus on a distant object?
The ciliary muscles relax outwards to have a larger diameter
The suspensory ligaments are pulled tight/taut
The lens is then pulled thin and only slightly refracts light rays and image focusses on the retina
How does the body respond to a decrease in blood glucose concentration?
Pancreas detects low level glucose and releases glucagon into the blood. Stimulates glycogen (in the liver and muscle cells) to convert to glucose and be released into the blood until level is restored until blood glucose too high and insulin will begin to be released (negative feedback system)
How does the body respond to an increase in blood glucose concentration?
Pancreas detects high levels of glucose and releases the hormone insulin that causes glucose to move /diffuse from the blood into the muscle cells and liver where excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage until blood glucose levels too low and glucagon will begin to be released.
Why does an enzyme that converts fats to glucose not working in the liver cause death in starving children?
Starving children have used up their glycogen stores so would need the liver enzyme to release glucose from fats. As the enzyme doesn’t work, less/no glucose is released so respiration is insufficient
Why does an enzyme that converts fats to glucose work in the liver prevent death in non-starving children?
Have glycogen in the liver so glucagon will continue to stimulate the release of glucose into the blood so respiration is sufficient.
Describe how hormones control the menstrual cycle and where they come from
- FSH (from pituitary gland) stimulate egg maturation and oestrogen production
- Oestrogen (from ovaries) inhibit FSH, builds and maintains uterus lining and stimulates LH production
- LH (from pituitary gland) inhibits oestrogen and stimulates ovulation and progesterone production
- Progesterone (from ovaries) inhibits FSH and LH and builds and maintains uterus lining
What are 3 advantages of kidney transplants over dialysis?
- No risk of infection from frequent needle puncturing skin (but may be infected due to suppression drugs)
- Maintains correct concentration of substances (ie no build up of toxic urea so no cell damage)
- No need for regular hospital visits so less time consuming
What are 3 disadvantages of kidney transplants over dialysis?
- Risk of rejection, have to take anti-rejection drugs (immunosuppressants)
- Risk of infection during surgery and from anti-rejection drugs which suppress immune system
- Shortage of donors
Explain how the pituitary gland and kidneys reduce water loss.
- Low water levels detected by pituitary gland so releases more ADH
- ADH stimulates kidney tubules to become more permeable so more water is reabsorbed into the blood and a lower volume of water in urine
- Controlled by negative feedback
What happens to cells if a person doesn’t urinate?
Cells swell and burst as too much water moves in by osmosis so cell membrane can’t withstand the high pressure -> cell damage so cells and so body don’t function properly