b5 homeostatis Flashcards
what do cells in the body need to survive?
a constant temperature and pH. and a constant supple of water and dissolved minerals
how are the conditions in the body controlled and regulated?
the body has control systems that constantly monitor and adjust the composition of the blood and tissues
what do the control systems include?
receptors which sense changes and effectors which bring about changes
what is homeostasis?
the regulations of internal conditions or a cell or organism to maintain optimal conditions for function in response to internal and external changes
what does homeostasis maintain the optimum conditions for?
- blood glucose concentrations
- temperatures
- water levels
what types of responses can automatic control systems have?
- nervous responses
- chemical responses
what components do all control systems have?
1) receptors- detect stimuli
2) co ordination centres- receive and process information from the receptors
3) effectors- bring about responses to restore optimal condition levels
what does the nervous system enable for humans to do?
react to their surroundings and co ordinate their behaviour
what are the components of the nervous system (in order)?
1) stimulus
2) receptor
3) co ordinator
4) effector
5) response
how does the nervouus system work?
Information from receptors passes the neurones as electrical impulses to the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS. The CNS coordinates the response of effectors by sending electrical impulses to the motor neurones, leading to muscles contracting or glands secreting hormones in response to the stimuli
what are the CNSes ?
in vertebrates, it is the brain and spinal chord
what are the CNSes connected to?
sensory neurones and motor neurones
what do sensory neurones do?
carry the information as electrical impulses from the receptors to the CNS
what do motor neurones do?
carry electrical impulses from the CNS to the effectors
what are effectors and what do they do?
they can be muscles or glands, they respond to nervous impulses from the CNS and bring about a change
what are some different types of receptors?
taste receptors, light receptors and sound receptors
what do synapses do?
they connect neurones , the nerve signal is transferred by chemicals which diffuse across the gap, these chemicals then set off a new electrical signal to the next neurone
what are reflexes?
rapid, automatic responses to certain stimuli that dont involve the conscious part of the brain. they can reduce the chances of being injured
examples of reflexes?
- if someone shines a bright light in your eyes, the pupils automatically get smaller so less light gets into the eye
- if you get a shock, your body releases the hormone adrenaline automatically
what is a relay neurone?
it carries impulses within the CNS
where do neurones in reflex arcs go through?
the spinal cord or the unconscious part of the brain
what is the brain?
it controls our behaviour and is made of billions of interconnected neurones. it has different regions which carry out different functions
what is the function of the cerebral cortex?
responsible for:
- consciousness
- intelligence
- memory
- language
what is the function of the medulla?
controls unconscious activities such as:
- breathing
-heartbeat
what is the function of the cerebellum?
responsible for muscle co odrination
what are some methods that scientists use to study the brain?
1) studying patients with brain damage
2) electrically stimulating the brain
3) MRI scans
why do scientists study patients with brain damage?
because the effect of a damaged part of the brain can tell you a lot about what it does. for example, if an area at the back of the brain was damaged and the patient went blind, you know that area has something to do with vision
why do scientists electrically stimulate the brain to study it?
because the brain can be stimulated electrically by pushing a tiny electrode into a tissue and giving it a small zap of electricity. scientists can then observe what stimulating the different parts of the brain actually does to get a possible idea of their functions
why do scientists use MRI scans to study the brain?
it can produce very detailed pictures of the brain’s structures. scientists can use it to find out which parts of the brain are active when people are doing things like recalling a memory or listening to music
what are some advantages to studying the brain?
knowledge of how the brain works has led to the development of treatments for disorders of the nervous system. eg: electrical stimulation can help reduce muscle tremors caused by nervous system disorders such as parkinson’s disease
what are some of the downsides of scientists trying to study the brain?
the brain is incredibly complex and delicate, therefore the investigation of any treatment of the brain or disease is difficult. it also carries risks such as physical damage to the brain or increased problems with brain function
what is the sclera and its function?
its the tough, supporting wall of the eye. it protects the eye from injury
what is the cornea and its function?
its the transparent outer layer found at the front of the eye. it refracts light into the eye
what is the iris and it’s function?
iris controls how much light enters the eye. it contains muscles that contract and relax that control the diameter of the pupil
what is the lens and its function?
it focuses the light into the retina (which contains receptor cells sensitive to light intensity and colour)
what are the ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments?
they control the shape of the lens
what is the optic nerve and its function?
its a nerve which carries impulses from the receptors on the retina to the brain
how does the iris reflex to adjust for bright light?
when light receptors detect very bright light, a reflex is triggered which makes the pupils smaller. the circular muscles in the iris contract and the radial muscles relax. this decreases the diameter of the pupil and decreases the amount of light which can enter the eye
how does the iris reflex adjust for dim lighting?
when light receptors detect very dim lighting, a reflex is triggered which makes the pupils bigger. the radial muscles contract and the circular muscles relax. this increases the diameter of the pupil and increases the amount of light that can enter the eye
what can damage the retina?
bright light
what is accomodation?
when the eye focuses light onn the retina by changing the shape of the lens
what happens to the eye when you focus on a nearby object?
1) the ciliary muscles contract which slackens the suspensory ligaments
2) the lens becomes more fat
3) this increases the amount by which it refracts light
why do some people need reading glasses as they get older?
the lens loses its flexibility so it cannot spring back to its round shape, therefore light cant be focused well for near viewing
what happens to the eye when you look at a distant object?
1) ciliary muscles relax which allows the suspensory ligaments to pull tight
2) this makes the lens go thin
3) so it refracts light by a smaller amount
what causes long-sightedness?
1) this occurs when the lens is the wrong shape and doesnt refract light enough or the eyeball is too short.
2) the images are bought into focus behind the retina.
which type of glasses lens can fix long- sightedness?
convex lens (it curves outward).
it refracts light more so the light rays focus on the retina
what is the medical term for long- sightedness?
hyperopia
what causes short- sightedness?
1) the lens is the wrong shape and refracts the light too much, or the eyeball is too long.
2) the images of distant objects are bought into focus infront of the retina
what glasses lenses can fix short- sightedness
concave lenses which curves inwards so the light rays refract less and focus on the retina
what is the medical term for short- sightedness?
myopia
a) what are contact lenses?
b) advantages?
c) 2 different types?
a) they are thin lenses that sit on the surface of the eye and are shaped to compensate for the fault in focusing
b) they’re lightweight, almost invisible and convenient for sports
c) the two types are hard and soft. soft lenses are more comfortable but carry a higher risk of infections
how is laser eye surgery done?
1) the laser can be used to vaporise tissue, changing the shape of the cornea, therefore changing how much light is refracted.
2) slimming it down makes it less powerful, so less light is refracted. changing the shape so that its more powerful will mean that more light is refracted
advantages and disadvantages of laser eye surgery?
ADVANTAGES: the surgeon can control how much tissue to take off and completely corrects vision. also it is permanent.
DISADVANTAGES: there are risks of complications such as an eye infection or the eye reacting in a way that makes your vision worse than before
a) what is replacement lens surgery?
b) what vision problem does it solve?
c? how is it done?
a) it is the replacement of the lens of the eye
b) treats hyperopia
c) the natural lens of the eye is removed and an artificial lens, made of clear plastic is inserted in its place
disadvantages of replacement eye surgery?
as it involves work inside the eye, replacing the lens carries higher risks than laser eye surgery. including possible damage to the retina (which could resort in loss of sight)
what is the core body temperature?
the temperature inside your body where your organs are
how does the body sense changes in temperature?
1) there is a thermoregulatory centre in the brain, which contains receptors that are sensitive to the temperature of the blood through the brain
2) the thermoregulatory centre also receives impulses from temperature receptors in the skin, giving information about the skin temperature
what are antagonistic receptors?
when effectors work at the same time to achieve a very precise condition (eg temperature) and this mechanism allows a more sensitive response
what does the body do when you’re too hot?
1) hairs lay flat
2) sweat is produced by sweat glands and evaporates from the skin. this transfers energy into the environment
3) the blood vessels supplying the skin dilate more so blood flows close to the surface of the skin. this is called vasodilation and helps transfer energy from the skin into the environment
what does the body do when you’re too cold?
1) hairs stand up and trap an insulating layer off hair
2) no sweat is produced
3) blood vessels supplying the skin capillaries constrict to close off the skins blood supply. this is called vasoconstriction
4) also the body shivers , this needs respiration which transfers some energy to warm the body
what are hormones?
chemical molecules released directly in the blood
how are hormones carried and where are they carried to?
they are carried in the blood and they are carried to other parts of the body, but only particular cells in particular organs (called target organs)