Biological Responses Flashcards
What is homeostasis?
Maintaining a stable internal environment.
Why is it important that your cells need the right conditions?
In order to function properly, including the right conditions for enzyme action.
Complete the sentence : Homeostasis is about the _______________ of the conditions inside your body to maintain a stable ___________ environment.
Regulation, internal.
What systems in your body regulate your internal environment?
automatic control systems
What are two types of communication systems in the body?
Nervous and hormonal.
Give 3 examples of what the control systems maintain.
Body temperature, blood glucose level and water content.
What are the three main components that make up your automatic control systems?
Receptors, Coordination centres and effectors.
What mechanism is used by your automatic control system to maintain a stable internal environment?
Negative feedback.
Describe (simply) negative feedback when a level decreases.
- Receptor detects a stimulus (level is too low).
- The coordination centre recieves and processes information, then organises a response.
- Effector produces a response which counteracts the change and restores the optimum level (the level increases).
Describe (simply) negative feedback when a level increases.
- Receptor detects a stimulus (level is too high).
- The coordination centre recieves and processes the information, then organises a response.
- Effector produces a response which counteracts the change and restores the optimum level (the level decreases).
What does the nervous system do?
Detects and reacts to stimuli using electrical impulses.
What system means that humans can react to their surroundings and coordinate their behaviour?
Nervous system.
What are the four main parts of the nervous system?
- Central nervous system
- Sensory neurones
- Motor neurones
- Effectors
What does CNS stand for?
Central Nervous System.
In vertebrates, what is the CNS only made up of?
The brain and the spinal cord.
In mammals, how is the CNS connected?
By sensory neurones and motor neurones.
What are sensory neurones?
The neurones that carry information as electrical impulses from the receptors to the CNS.
What are motor neurones?
The neurones that carry electrical impulses from the CNS to effectors.
What are effectors?
All your muscles and glands, which respond to nervous impulses.
What can receptors and effectors from part of?
A complex organ.
What are receptors?
The cells that detect stimuli.
Give 2 examples of receptors.
Taste receptors (on tongue), sound receptors (in ears).
What do effectors do?
Respond to nervous impulses and bring about a change.
What do muscles do in response to a nervous impulse?
Contract.
What do glands do in response to a nervous impulse?
Secrete hormones.
What is a synapse?
A connection between two neurones.
How do electrical impulses travel between two neurones?
The nerve signal is transferred by chemicals which diffuse across the synapse. These chemicals trigger a new electrical signal in the next neurone.
True or false. Neurones transmit information to the brain faster than a reflex.
False.
What do reflexes do?
Help prevent injury.
What are reflexes?
Rapid, automatic responses to a certain stimuli that dont involve the conscious part of the brain - they reduce the chances of being injured.
Give 2 examples of a reflex.
- When your eyes are exposed to a bright light, your pupils automatically get smaller so less light gets into the eye, reducing damage.
- If you get a shock, your body releases the hormone adrenaline automatically.
What is a reflex arc?
The passage of information in a reflex - from a receptor to an effector.
Name the 8 stages of the reflex arc.
Stimulus
Receptor
Sensory neurone
CNS
Relay neurone
Motor neurone
Effector
Response
What do neurones in a reflex arc go through?
The spinal cord or unconscious part of the brain (Medulla).
Why are reflexes faster than regular neurones?
They are unconscious responses.
What is the practical investigating the time it takes to respond to a stimulus?
The ruler drop test - reaction time.
Name the IV in the ruler drop test.
Caffeine or amount of sleep - changing anything that would affect reaction time.
Name the DV in the ruler drop test.
Reaction time/ time taken to catch the ruler after being released.
Name some CV in the ruler drop test.
- Same person to catch the ruler each time
- Person uses the same hand to catch the ruler
- Ruler dropped from the same height
- The person has not had anything that could affect their reaction time before the experiment.
Give the method for the ruler drop practical.
- The person being tested should sit with their arm resting on the edge of a table.
- Hold a ruler vertically between their thumb and forefinger. Make sure the zero end is level with their finger.
- Let go of the ruler with no warning.
- Reaction time is measured by the number on the ruler where it is caught - the higher the number the longer the reaction time.
- Repeat several times and calculate a mean.
- The person being tested should then have caffeine and after 10 minutes, repeat steps 1-5.
How can reaction time be measured?
Using a computer
What is the advantage of using a computer to measure reaction time?
- More precise as they remove the possibility of human error
- Can record in milliseconds, giving a more accurate measurement
- Can remove the possibility of the person predicting when to respond
What is one factor that affects human reaction time?
age, gender, drugs
What is the brain responsible for?
Complex behaviours
What is the central nervous system made up of?
The spinal cord and the brain
What is the CNS made up of?
interconnected neurones
What is the function of the Cerebral Cortex?
It is responsible for consciousness, intelligence, memory and language
What is the function of the Medulla?
Controls unconscious activities e.g. breathing
What is the function of the Cerebellum?
Responsible for muscle coordination
What part of the brain is responsible for consciousness, intelligence, memory and language?
Cerebral Cortex
What part of the brain controls unconscious activities?
Medulla
What part of the brain is responsible for muscle coordination?
Cerebellum
What are scientists that study the brain called?
neuroscientists
How do scientists study the brain?
Electrically stimulating the brain by removing the top of the scull and inserting a tiny electrode into the tissue. Because the brain has no sensory nerve endings, this can be done on conscious patients so that they can investigate the effects of stimulating different parts of the brain.
What does MRI stand for?
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
What do MRI scanners do?
Take images to show exactly where the brain is affected.
This can be used to find what areas of the brain are active when the patient is doing particular things.
Why is electrical stimulation of the brain done on conscious patients?
There are no sensory nerve endings in the brain
Why is electrical stimulation of the brain done on conscious patients?
There are no sensory nerve endings in the brain
What can electrical stimulation on the brain help reduce?
muscle tremors caused by nervous system disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s disease)
What are the risks of investigating the brain?
Could cause physical damage to the brain or increased problems with brain function
Why is it difficult to investigate and treat brain disorders?
- Synapses of the brain can be easily damaged
- Drugs do not always reach the brain through the membranes that surround it
- Surgery can be dangerous as it is not fully understood
What is the eye?
A sense organ
What is the Sclera?
the tough, supporting wall of the eye
What is the Cornea?
the transparent outer layer found at the front of the eye, it refracts light into the eye
What is the Iris?
it contains muscles that allow it to control the diameter of the pupil and how much light enters the eye
What is the Pupil?
The hole in the middle of the eye that lets light through
What is the Lens?
it focuses the light onto the retina
What is the Retina?
it contains receptor cells sensitive to light intensity and colour
What is the shape of the lens controlled by?
Ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments
What is the function of ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments?
controls the shape of the lens
What is the optic nerve?
the nerve that carries electrical impulses from the receptors on the retina to the brain
Describe the Iris reflex in bright light.
The light receptors on the retina detect very bright light. They trigger the circular muscles in the iris to contract and the radial muscles to relax. This makes the pupil smaller and reduces the amount of light that can enter the eye.
Describe the Iris reflex in dim light.
The light receptors on the retina detect dim light. They trigger the circular muscles in the iris to relax and the radial muscles to contract. This makes the pupil larger and allows a larger amount of light to enter the eye.
Describe the reflex when looking at near objects.
The ciliary muscles contract, which slackens the suspensory ligaments.
The lens becomes more curved.
This increases the amount by which it refracts.
Describe the reflex when looking at distant objects.
The ciliary muscles relax causing the suspensory ligaments to pull tight.
This makes the lens thinner and less curved.
So it refracts the light by a smaller amount.
What is the medical term for long-sightedness?
hyperopia
What are long-sighted people unable to focus on?
near objects
What is hyperopia?
Long-sightedness:
When the lens is the wrong shape or the eyeball is too short, images of near objects are brought into focus behind the retina.
Where are images of near objects brought into focus if a person has hyperopia?
behind the retina
What type of lens can be used to treat hyperopia?
Convex lens
What is a convex lens?
A lens which curves outwards and increases refraction.
What is the medical term for short-sightedness?
myopia
What are short-sighted people unable to focus on?
distant objects
What is myopia?
Short-sightedness:
When the lens is the wrong shape and refracts light too much or the eyeball is too long.
The image of distant objects are focused in front of the retina.
Where is the image of distant objects brought into focus of a person with myopia?
in front of the retina
What type of lens can be used to correct short-sightedness?
Concave lens
What is a concave lens?
A lens that curves inwards and reduces refraction
Glasses are used to treat vision defects. What are 3 other ways of treating this?
Contact lenses
Laser eye surgery
Replacement lens surgery
What are contact lenses?
Thin lenses that sit on the surface of the eye and are shaped to compensate for the fault in focusing.
What are the advantages of contact lenses?
Lightweight
Almost invisible
More convenient for sport
What are the two types of contact lenses?
Hard lenses and soft lenses
True or false: Soft contact lenses are more comfortable than hard lenses.
True
True or false: Soft contact lenses are more comfortable than hard lenses.
True
What are the disadvantages of contact lenses?
Risk of eye infection
Have to be replaced daily
What is laser eye surgery?
A laser is used to vaporise tissue, changing the shape of the cornea (so how strongly it refracts light into the eye).
How is laser eye surgery used to correct short-sightedness?
Slimming the cornea down makes it refract less.