HOMEOSTASIS AND RESPONSE Flashcards
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of a constant internal environment despite changes in the surroundings
What does homeostasis involve regulating in the body?
Blood glucose concentration
Water levels
Body temperature
What is a stimuli?
A change in the environment/surroundings
What are receptors?
Detects something (e.g. retina in eye which detects intensity and colour of light)
What are effectors?
Muscles or glands which carry out responses (muscles contract and glands secrete hormones)
What is the central nervous system (CNS) make up of?
Brain and spinal cord
What does the CNS do?
Collects all sensory information Processes/coordinates it
Responds by communicating with effectors
What is conducted on neurones?
Electrical impulses
What is the order of the nervous systems normal reaction?
Stimulus
Sensory receptor
Sensory neurone
CNS
Motor neurone
Effectors
Where does the sensory neurone carry its electrical impulse?
From sensory receptor to CNS
Where does the motor neurone carry its electrical impulse?
From CNS to effectors
What is a synapse?
The gap between the end of one neurone and the start of the next neurone
What happens at synapses?
Electrical pulses cannot be conducted (no conducting tissue) so chemical neurotransmitters diffuse across the synapse
What are reflex actions?
Automatic and rapid actions that do not involve the conscious part of the brain
What does a relay neurone do?
Connects the sensory and motor neurone (no brain)
What is the order of the nervous systems reflex reaction?
Stimulus
Sensory receptor
Sensory neurone
Relay neurone
Motor neurone
Effectors
What does the cerebrum in the brain do?
Controls voluntary movements, learning, memory and personality
What are the 2 hemispheres of the cerebrum (in brain) connected by?
Corpus callosum
What does the medulla in the brain do?
Controls involuntary muscles and automatic reactions
What is a stroke?
When the blood supply to the brain is cut off
How does an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) work?
Uses radio waves and strong magnetic fields to generate images of the brain
What does the retina in the eye do?
Structure at the back of the eye
Contains receptors that are sensitive to light and colour
What does the cornea in the eye do?
The transparent front part of the eye
Protects the eye
Refracts the light rays entering the eye
What does the sclera in the eye do?
Tough, fibrous layer
Forms the supporting wall of the eyeball
What does the optic nerve do in the eye?
Conducts impulses from the eye to the brain
What is accommodation in the eye?
Allows the eye to focus light in a sharp image
The lens has to change shape to accommodate the difference (close and far objects)
What happens to the pupil in dim light?
Radial muscles contract
Circular muscles relax
Pupil is pulled bigger so dilates
Therefore more light can enter
What happens to the pupil in bright light?
Circular muscles contract
Radial muscles relax
Pupil constricts
Reduces amount of light entering eye to prevent damage to sensitve receptor cells in retina
What does the CNS act as?
A coordination centre (receives information from receptors and coordinates a response)
What do the ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments do?
They control the shape of the lens
What happens to the eye when it looks at near/close objects?
Ciliary muscles contract
Suspensory ligaments relax
Lens becomes fat (more curved)
Increases the amount by which it refracts light
What happens to the eye when it looks at far/distant objects?
Ciliary muscles relax
Suspensory ligaments contract
Makes the lens go thin (less curved)
Refracts light by a smaller amount
Why are some people long-sighted?
They are unable to focus on close objects because the lens is the wrong shape and doesn’t refract the light enough or the eyeball is too short
What is long-sightedness called?
Hyperopia
Why are some people short-sighted?
They are unable to focus on distant objects because the lens is the wrong shape and refracts the light too much or the eyeball is too long
What is short-sightedness called?
Myopia
What are contact lenses?
Thin lenses that sit on the surface of the eye and are shaped to compensate for the fault in focusing
Light and almost invisible
More convenient for sport
Hard and soft lenses (soft more dangerous)
What is laser eye surgery?
Laser can be used to vaporise tissue, changing the shape of the cornea
Slimming it down to make it less powerful improves short sight
Changing the shape to make it more powerful improves long site
What is replacement lens surgery?
Replacing the natural lens of the eye with an artificial lens (clear plastic)
What are hormones?
Chemical molecules released directly into the blood and affect target organs
What hormones do the ovaries produce?
Oestrogen
Progesterone
What hormone does the testes produce?
Testosterone
What is the pituitary gland?
The master gland because these hormones act on other glands directing them to release hormones
What hormone does the thyroid produce?
Thyroxine
What does thyroxine do?
Regulates rate of metabolism, heart rate and temperature
What hormone does the adrenal gland produce?
Adrenaline
What hormones do the pancreas produce?
Insulin
Glucagon
Where are hormones produce?
Endocrine glands
What are the endocrine glands?
Pituitary gland
Thyroid
Adrenal gland
Pancreas
Ovaries
Testes
How are nerves different from hormones?
Faster
Act for a short time
Act on a very precise area
How are hormones different from nerves?
Slower
Act for a long time
Act in a more general way
What is the hormonal system?
Contains glands that secret hormones directly into the blood
What hormones do the pituitary gland produce?
FSH
TSH
LH
What is progesterone?
During ovulation
Ovum follicle left behind when egg pops out produces the hormone
What is THS?
Thyroid stimulating hormone
What is FSH?
Follicle stimulating hormone
What is LH?
Luteinising hormone (causes ovulation)
What target organ does adrenaline go to?
The heart muscle
What target organ does insulin and glucagon go to?
The liver
What target organ does FSH go to?
Ovary
What target organ does TSH go to?
Thyroid gland
What target organ does LH go to?
Ovary
What does insulin do?
Joins glucose monomers you form glycogen
What does glucagon do?
Breaks down glycogen into glucose monomers
What is adrenaline?
The fight or flight hormone
What does adrenaline do?
Increases heart and breathing rate
Increase rate of respiration
Redistributes blood to areas where it is most needed
What happens to glucose when it enters our body?
Removed from blood by metabolism of cells or exercise