Homeostasis and Excretion Flashcards
What is Homeostasis
This is the maintenance of a constant internal environment. ex: Maintaining a constant body temperature.
What is Osmo Regulation
This is when maintaining the water and salt content of the body and keeping it relatively constant
What is Tissue Fluid
This is a watery liquid that contains Salts, glucose, and other solutes that surround all the cells in our body. It provides a pathway for the transfer of nutrients and other substances from the blood to the cells.
Tissue Fluid is formed by the leakage of blood capillaries.
What are the main contents of Urine
- Urea
- Water
- Ammonia
- Potassium
- Phosphate
- Other Nitrogoneous Wastes
What is Excretion
This is the removal of waste that has been created by the metabolic reactions in cells. Ex: Urea.
What are the 2 functions that are carried out by the Kideney?
- The Kidney is a Homeostatic Organ that maintains the water content of the body
- The Kidney also converts the Nitrogenous Wastes into a form that can be excreted.
What are some of the Excretory Organs of the Body
- Kidneys
- Lungs
- Skin
How does the blood and urine flow occur inside the Kidney
The blood comes into the kidney through the renal artery, which is the blood that is coming from the aorta at high pressure. The blood gets filtered inside the kidney and the filtered blood then passes through the renal vein and into the vena cava, which leads to the heart.
The Urine is formed in the kidneys and passes through the 2 ureters and into the urethra, where the urine is stored until it is released.
What is Ultrafiltration
This is the process in which the filter in the Glomerulus filters different sized molecules in the blood under pressure, letting different sized molecules through and into the Bowman’s Capsule.
What is the glomeluar filtrate
This is the substance that gets filtered and passes into the Bowmans’ Capsule.
What is Negative Feedback
A change in the body is detected by receptors and a process is started to bring the body’s processes back to normal.
What does ADH stand for
Anti-Diuretic Hormone.
How does ADH increase the water content in the blood?
When the water content of the blood decreases, it stimulates the hypothalamus of the brain, which stimulates the thirst centers and the pituitary gland. This gland then produces a hormone called ADH and releases it into the blood. When the blood containing the hormone arrives at the kidney tubules, it makes the collecting duct more permeable to water, so that more water can be reabsorbed into the body. This increases the water content in the blood and makes the urine more concentrated.
What is the purpose of the Loop of Henle
The loop of Henle is responsible for the reabsorption of water back into the blood. A longer loop of Henle means that more water will be reabsorbed into the blood.
Animals living in deserts have a long loop of Henle to re-absorb as much water as possible to keep them hydrated.
What is the method of transport that is used during the selective reabsorption of glucose
Active Transport
Why is Glucose reabsorbed only in the first Coiled Tubule
Because the protein gates that facilitate glucose reabsorption are present only in the first coiled tubule
What are Homeotherms
These are organisms that can maintain a constant body temperature.
What are endotherms
These are organisms that can perform physiological changes to themselves in order to keep their body temperature constant.
What is the advantage of humans maintaining their body temperature at 37 degrees celsius
This means that humans have the ability to allow the body reactions in cells to go at a steady rate
What is the organ that monitors the core body temperature of mammals
The Thermoregulatory center in the brain monitors the core body temperature.
What are the functions of the Skin
- It acts as a tough outer layer, reducing mechanical damage.
- It acts as a barrier to pathogens to prevent them from entering the body
- It acts as an impermeable surface to prevent water loss.
- It reduces the heat loss increasing insulation.
- Sense organ for touch and temperature.
What are the ways that the body maintains a constant body temperature
- Sweat pores in the skin release sweat that evaporates, which keeps the body cool.
- Vasodilation increases the width of the atrioles near the skin to increase blood flow to the surface to radiate heat and lose heat in hot conditions. The other way around happens in vasoconstriction.
- Increase in body metabolism increases the heat generated in the body.
- Shivering causes muscles to contract and relax very quickly, generating heat.
- Behavioral patterns like coming together increase the heat generation.
