Fundamentals of Physiology Flashcards
Living Processes, Body fluids, Feedback systems
What are the basic processes that living organisms carry out?
Responsiveness/Excitability Movement Growth Differentiation Reproduction Metabolism
What is Metabolism?
Sum of all the chemical reactions which occur in the body.
Includes breaking down large complex mechanisms into smaller simpler ones.
What is anabolism?
Process using energy to build up the body structures
What is catabolism?
Process of breaking down substances to provide the energy needed to sustain life.
What is growth?
Increase in cell size and numbers
What is differentiation?
The mechanism by which unspecialized cells change to specialized cells with specific structure and function.
What are stem cells?
Cells which can divide and give rise to other cells that undergo differentiation.
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of constant conditions in the body’s internal environment
What are the important aspects of homeostasis?
To maintain the volume and composition of body fluids
How do you calculate the total body water?
By adding the extracellular fluid and the intercellular fluid
(Total body water= extracellular fluid + intercellular fluid)
What is ICF?
The fluid inside body cells
What is ECF?
The fluid outside body cells
What is the fluid between cells called?
Interstitial fluid
What is the fluid within blood vessels called?
Blood Plasma
What is the fluid in the lymphatic vessels called?
Lymph
What is the fluid around the brain and spinal cord called?
Cerebrospinal fluid
What is the fluid in joints called?
Synovial fluid
What is the fluid in the eyes called?
Aqueous Humour
What is a feedback system made up of?
- Receptor
- Control centre
- Effector
What is a receptor?
A structure that monitors the change in the controlled environment and sends inputs to the control centre.
What is the control centre?
A structure that sets the range of values within which a controlled condition should be maintained, evaluates the input it receives from receptors and generates the output command.
What is an effector?
A structure that receives output from the control centre and produces a response/effect that changes the controlled condition.
How many feedback systems are there? What are they called?
Two
Negative and Postive feedback system
What is negative feedback?
A change in the internal environment that leads to a response which counteracts the change and restores the system to its original state (set point)
What is positive feedback?
A change in the internal environment which produces a response that amplifies the original change.
