Homeostasis Flashcards
What is Homeostasis?
The maintenance of a constant internal environment despite changes in the external environment
Why is keeping your internal environment stable so important?
It is vital for cells to function normally and to stop them being damaged
What three things need to be maintained to ensure optimum conditions for a cell to function correctly?
- Blood pH
- Core temperature
- Glucose concentration
What pH level is optimum?
7.35-7.45
What core temperature is optimum?
37 degrees
Why did pH and Core temperature need to be controlled?
As they both affect enzyme activity and enzymes control the rate of metabolic reactions. If incorrect, enzymes may become denatured.
Why does Blood glucose need to be maintained?
As cells need glucose for respiration to release energy and it can affect the water potential of blood
What blood glucose level is optimum?
5 mmol dm-3
Explain why a HIGH blood glucose concentration (aka. hyperglycemia) is potentially dangerous
- As it lowers the water potential of the blood
- Water moves into blood by Osmosis.
- This leads to blood volume increasing
- Blood pressure increases and dehydration of important organs occurs (e.g. the brain)
- A high conc can be due to lack of INSULIN or insulin resistance/don’t respond to insulin
Where can glucose come from?
Diet - hydrolysis of carbohydrates such as starch
Hydrolysis of Glycogen (glycogenolysis)
Gluconeogenesis - glucose from amino acids
The biggest effect of having a low blood glucose concentration (hypoglycemia)?
Lack of glucose for respiration (aerobic) and water potential increases so lowers blood pressure as water leaves the blood via Osmosis
A mechanism that restores a level back to normal in a system
Negative feedback
EQUATION: How can you calculate the pH of a solution?
pH = - log10 [H+]
The likelihood of water molecules to diffuse out or into a solution
Water potential
Which physiological variables does the Negative Feedback mechanism provide stability for?
- Blood pH
- Water Potential
- Glucose concentration
- Core temperature
What is the Negative Feedback ‘loop’?
Normal level > level changes from normal > Receptors detect change > Communication via nervous or hormonal system > Effectors respond > Level brought back to normal
What is the detector of the physiological variables in the brain?
The hypothalamus
What are effectors?
give E.g’s
Muscle/glands that cause a response
E.g. Temperature change Adrenaline which increase metabolic rate Shivering - contraction of muscles Vasoconstriction/dilation of arterioles Sweat Glands (evaporation of water) Behavioural Response - put more clothes on if cold etc.
What is Positive Feedback?
When effectors respond to further increase the level away from the normal level - a change away from normal.
It is useful to rapidly activate processes in the body
Where is blood glucose concentration monitored?
Pancreas
When would blood glucose automatically rise and fall?
Rise = after eating carbohydrate food Fall = after exercise as its used in respiration
Why is gluconeogensis (breaking down amino acids) the last resort for sourcing glucose?
As proteins cannot be stored so you are essentially breaking down the muscle (e.g. why anorexic people are skinny)
A structure of the pancreas that contains receptors that are sensitive to blood glucose concentration
Islets of Langerhans
Name the two types of Islet cells that control blood glucose?
Alpha cells ( a-cells) Beta cells (b-cells)
An islet cell that when production of glucose is low, there is production of glucagon to raise it
Alpha cells (a-cells)
An islet cell when glucose levels are high, there is production of insulin to lower it
Beta cells (b-cells)
Hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, only bind to cells with what?
Specific receptors (e.g. target cells)
‘genesis’ means…
making
‘lysis’ means…
splitting
‘neo’ means…
new
Where are hormones produced?
By Endocrine glands
What happens after a meal high in carbohydrates?
- Blood glucose increases above normal
- Detected by Beta cells
- Secrete insulin
- which is released into the blood and travels to target cells - mainly the liver and muscle cells
- Insulin binds to specific receptors on the target cell membrane
- Causes a reduction in blood glucose concentrations
How does insulin reduce blood glucose? (Beta)
- Insulin activates enzymes which convert glucose to glycogen (glycogenesis)
- Insulin activities enzymes to convert glucose to fats
- Increasing respiration rates in cells > use glucose