C3.1 SL / HL Flashcards
Integration
The process of coordinating the parts of a complex organism to perform a function. This includes tissues, organs, and organ systems working together to carry out the life functions of an organism.
Nervous system
a complex network of nerve cells and nerves that sends and receives signals between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body
Endocrine system
a network of glands and organs that produce hormones to regulate many bodily functions
Positive feedback loops
a process where the product of a reaction increases that reaction
Negative feedback loops
a biological process that occurs when the effects of a reaction slow or stop that reaction
Cells
the smallest unit of life and the fundamental building block of all living organisms
euchromatin
a loosely packed form of chromatin that is rich in genes and is transcriptionally active
Hepatocyte
a cell in the body that manufactures serum albumin, fibrinogen, and the prothrombin group of clotting factors
Tissues
a group of cells that have similar structure and that function together as a unit
Organs
a group of tissues that work together to perform a specific function
Organ systems
a group of organs that work together to perform a specific function in an organism’s body
Organism
a living thing, such as a plant, animal, fungus, or bacterium
Emergent properties
characteristics that arise when parts of a system interact, but are not properties of the individual parts themselves
signaling pathways
a series of chemical reactions in a cell that allow it to respond to external or internal signals, and carry out functions like cell division or cell death
Impulse
a wave of excitation that travels through tissues and nerve fibers, resulting in physiological activity or inhibition
action potential
a rapid change in the voltage across a cell membrane that occurs when a cell is stimulated
exocrine glands
glands that produce and release substances onto the body’s surface through ducts
endocrine glands
organs that produce and release hormones into the bloodstream to regulate and control many bodily functions
hormones
chemical substances that act like messenger molecules in the body
Metabolism
the chemical processes that occur in cells and organisms to create energy and materials for growth, reproduction, and health
brain
a complex organ that controls many of the body’s functions
stimuli
a detectable change in the internal or external environment that causes a living organism to respond
Sensory neurons
nerve cells that receive and transmit information from sensory organs to the brain
Interneurons
neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons in the central nervous system (CNS)
Motor neurons
nerve cells in the central nervous system (CNS) that control voluntary and involuntary muscle movements
Senses
the physiological systems that allow organisms to gather information about their surroundings
Short-term memory
the ability to store information in conscious awareness for a brief period of time, usually seconds to minutes
Long-term memory
a process that stores information and experiences in the brain for a long time, allowing people to recall past events
Cerebrum
the largest part of the brain, and is responsible for many of the brain’s functions that allow us to interact with the world around us
Frontal lobe
the largest lobes in the human brainand they are also the most common region of injury in traumatic brain injury. The frontal lobes are important for voluntary movement, expressive language and for managing higher level executive functions
Temporal lobe
a pair of areas on your brain’s left and right sides. These areas, which are inside your skull near your temples and ears, play a role in managing your emotions, processing information from your senses, storing and retrieving memories, and understanding language
Parietal lobe
a part of the brain that processes sensory information, including touch, temperature, pain, and pressure
Occipital lobe
the part of the brain that processes visual information, including color, form, and motion
Cerebellum
a part of the brain that coordinates voluntary muscle movements, balance, and posture
Brainstem
the part of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls many vital functions
Medulla oblongata
the bottom-most part of your brain. Its location means it’s where your brain and spinal cord connect, making it a key conduit for nerve signals to and from your body
central nervous system
the part of the body that controls and processes information, including thoughts, feelings, movement, and learning
spinal cord
a column of nerve tissue that runs from the base of the skull down the center of the back, protected by the vertebrae
White matter
a tissue in the brain and spinal cord that transmits information between different areas of the central nervous system
Grey matter
a type of tissue in your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) that plays a crucial role in allowing you to function normally from day to day
Unconscious
a state where someone is unable to respond to their environment or people, or to be aware of themselves
Conscious
a dynamic, integrated, multimodal mental process entailed by physical events occurring in the forebrain
Receptor cells
cells that detect changes in the environment, or stimuli, and respond by creating electrical impulses
Transduction
the process by which a cell receives and responds to chemical signals from outside the cell
acetylcholine
a neurotransmitter, a chemical that carries messages from your brain to your body through nerve cells
Neuromuscular junction
the point where a motor neuron meets a muscle fiber and transmits a nerve impulse that causes the muscle to contract
Synapse
the junction between two neurons that allows for the transmission of information
Motor unit
a functional unit of skeletal muscle that consists of a motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it controls
terminal bud
a bud located at the tip of a plant stem, while an axon terminal is the end of a neuron that releases neurotransmitters
pre-synaptic cell
a neuron that sends information to another neuron across a synapse
Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels
transmembrane proteins that conduct Ca2+into cells in response to the changes in membrane potential and thereby initiate a number of physiological events
exocytosis
a process that occurs when a cell moves large materials from inside the cell to the outside of the cell using small spheres of membrane called vesicles
ligand-gated Na+ channels
integral membrane proteins that contain a pore which allows the regulated flow of selected ions across the plasma membrane
Peripheral nervous system
parts of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord. It includes the cranial nerves,…
body nerves
bundles of nerve cells, or neurons, that transmit electrical impulses between the brain and the rest of the body
Nerve
a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the nervous system to other parts of the body and transmits impulses
Neuron
a cell that sends and receives messages throughout the body using electrical and chemical signals
Dendrite
a branch-like extension of a neuron that receives information from other cells in the form of electrical signals
Cell body
the spherical part of the neuron that contains the nucleus
Axon
a long, thin fiber that transmits electrical impulses away from the cell body of a neuron to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Myelin sheath
a fatty layer that surrounds the axon of a nerve cell, or neuron, and acts as an insulator to speed up nerve impulses
Schwann cells
a type of glial cells of the peripheral nervous system that help form the myelin sheath around the nerve fibers
nodes of Ranvier
gaps in the myelin sheath that cover the axon of a neuron, which allow electrical signals to travel quickly along the axon
Pain reflex arc
the pathway of electrical impulses that occur when the body responds to a painful stimulus
Afferent neuron
the nerve fibers responsible for bringing sensory information from the outside world into the brain
nociceptors
sensory neurons that detect potentially harmful stimuli and send signals to the brain to create the sensation of pain
effector neuron
a nerve cell that sends impulses from the central nervous system (CNS) to an effector, like a muscle or gland, to cause a physiological response
Circadian rhythm
the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that organisms experience over a 24-hour cycle
Pineal gland
a small, pine cone-shaped endocrine gland in the brain that produces melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and wakefulness
photoreceptors
light-sensitive cells in the retina of the eye that convert light into electrical signals that the brain can process
melatonin
a hormone that helps regulate the body’s sleep cycle and circadian rhythm.It’s produced in the pineal gland, a small organ in the brain, in response to darkness.
“fight or flight” response
response to an acute threat to survival that is marked by physical changes, including nervous and endocrine changes, that prepare a human or an animal to react or to retreat
Epinephrine
a hormone and neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the body’s fight-or-flight response
adrenal glands
small, triangular-shaped endocrine glands that sit on top of each kidney
Hypothalamus
The area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst
pituitary gland
a small, pea-sized gland. It is found at the base of your brain, in line with the top of your nose. Your pituitary acts as your body’s ‘master gland’. It tells other glands in your body what to do
Anterior pituitary
the front lobe of the pituitary gland that produces hormones that regulate many bodily functions
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
a pituitary hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine (T4), and then triiodothyronine (T3) which stimulates the metabolism of almost every tissue in the body
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
A hormone made in the pituitary gland. In females, it acts on the ovaries to make follicles release their eggs and to make hormones that get the uterus ready for a fertilized egg to be implanted
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
a hormone that plays a significant role in sexual development and reproduction by affecting the function of the ovaries and testes
Prolactin
a hormone that plays a role in many bodily processes, including breast development, milk production, and maintaining homeostasis
Posterior pituitary
the back lobe of the pituitary gland, which is a small gland located at the base of the brain
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
A hormone that helps blood vessels constrict and helps the kidneys control the amount of water and salt in the body
Oxytocin
a peptide hormone andneuropeptidenormally produced in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary
Low blood pressure
occurs when blood flows through your blood vessels at lower than normal pressures. The medical term for low blood pressure is hypotension
High blood pressure
a condition where the force of blood pushing against artery walls is higher than normal. Also known as hypertension.
CHD
A disease in which there is a narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries(blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the heart). Coronary heart disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis (a buildup of fatty material and plaque inside the coronary arteries).
Sympathetic nerve
part of thenervoussystem that increases heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and pupil size
vagus nerve
a pair of nerves that run from the brain through the neck, chest, and abdomen to control many of the body’s involuntary functions
Baroreceptors
sensory neurons that detect blood pressure changes and send information to the brain to help maintain a normal blood pressure range
Chemoreceptors
specialized nerve cells that detect changes in the chemical composition of the body and send information to the brain
sinoatrial node (SAN)
a cluster of muscle fibers in the heart’s right atrium that regulates the heart’s rhythm by generating electrical impulses
aorta
the body’s largest artery and is responsible for transporting oxygen-rich blood, nutrients, and hormones from the heart to the rest of the body
carotid arteries
the main blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the head, face, and neck
carbonic acid
a weak acid that forms when carbon dioxide dissolves in water
intercostal muscles
a group of muscles found between the ribs which are responsible for helping form and maintain the cavity produced by the ribs
diaphragm
the majormuscle of respiration. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle that contracts rhythmically and continually, and most of the time, involuntarily. Upon inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and flattens and the chest cavity enlarges.
alveoli
Tiny air sacs at the end of thebronchioles(tiny branches of air tubes in the lungs). The alveoli are where the lungs and the blood exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide during the process of breathing in and breathing out.
brainstem
The part of the brain that is connected to the spinal cord
alimentary canal
the whole passage along which food passes through the body from mouth toanusduringdigestion.
Peristalsis
a series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. It starts in the esophagus where strong wave-like motions of the smooth muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach.
bolus
ball-like mixture of food and saliva that forms in the mouth during the process of chewing
circular muscle
Muscle in soft animals along the body, and the circular fibres encircle it. The body contents are liquids or tissues that can be deformed into different shapes
longitudinal muscles
The longitudinal muscle fibres run lengthwise along the body, and the circular fibres encircle it. The body contents are liquids or tissues that can be deformed into different shapes, but they maintain a constant volume
stretch receptors
mechanoreceptorsresponsive to distention of various organs and muscles
enteric nervous system (ENS)
a neural network within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that functions independently and controls various aspects of GI physiology
