Homeostasis and Response Flashcards
What is Homeostasis?
the regulation of the conditions in the body to maintain a stable environment
- responds to both internal and external
What are automatic control systems?
systems that regulate internal environment
- body temperature, blood glucose level, water content
What are the 3 main components automatic control systems made up of?
Receptors
Coordination centres (brain, spinal cord, pancreas)
Effectors
What is negative feedback?
A system the automatic control systems use to bring levels (water, temp etc) back to normal
What are the different parts of the Nervous system?
CNS- Central Nervous System
- consists of brain and spinal cord only
Sensory Neurone
- carries information as electrical impulses from receptors to the CNS
Motor Neurone
- carries impulses form CNS to effectors
Effectors
- all muscles and glands, response to nervous impulses
What happens when the levels are too high?
- Receptor detects a stimuli
- Coordination centre receives + processes information, organises response
- Effector produces response, counteracts the change, restores optimum level
- level decreases
What happens when the levels are too low?
- Receptor detects a stimuli
- Coordination receives and processes information, organises response
- Effector produces response, counteracts change, restores optimum level
- Level increases
What is the Nervous system?
Detects and reacts to stimuli
- humans react to their surroundings, coordinate behaviour
What are receptors?
Cells that detect stimuli
- taste receptors, sound receptors (ears, tongue)
- form parts of larger organs (retina= light receptor cell)
What are Effectors?
Respond to nervous impulses and brings back a change
- muscles and glands
What can effectors and receptors form?
part of complex organs
How do Muscles respond as an effector?
they contract
How do Glands respond as an effector?
secrete hormones
What is the role of the CNS?
Coordination centre
- coordinates a response
What is a synapse?
the connection between 2 neurones
- nerve signal transferred by chemicals
- diffuse across the gap
- set off new electrical signal to the next neurone
What are Reflexes?
Rapid automatic responses to certain stimuli
- don’t involve the conscious part of the brain
- reduce chances of being injured
- bright light-> pupils get smaller
-shock-> body releases adrenaline
What is the a reflex arc?
- the passage of information in a reflex (from receptor to effector)
What is the process of a reflex arc?
1- Stimuli (Bee stings finger)
2- Stimulus detected by pain receptor
3- Impulses sent along sensory neurone to relay neurone in the CNS (through spinal cord OR unconscious part of brain)
4- Impulses reach a synapse (between sensory and relay neurone), trigger chemical release, sends impulse to relay neurone
5- Impulses reach synapse between relay and motor neurone, chemicals released, sends impulse
6- impulses travel from motor neurone to effector (muscle or gland)
7- muscle contracts, move away from the bee (quicker than normal reaction, unconscious)
What is the brain?
- Made up of billions of interconnected neurones
- In charge of all complex behaviours
- In charge of many different functions (different regions)
What are the different components of the brain?
Cerebral cortex
Medulla
Cerebellum
Spinal Cord
Pituitary Gland
Hypothalamus
What is the role of the Cerebral Cortex?
Consciousness, Intelligence, Memory, Language
- Outer wrinkly layer
What is the role of the Medulla?
Controls unconscious activities
(breathing, heartbeat)
What is the role of the Cerebellum?
Responsible for muscle coordination
What is the role of the Hypothalamus?
Controls Homeostasis
What is the role of the Spinal Cord?
Part of the reflex arc
- motor commands
What is the role of the Pituitary Gland?
Produces hormones that regulate body conditions
- master gland
- hormones released act on glands, directing them to release hormones that bring about change
What methods do scientists use to study the brain?
MRI Scans
Electrically Stimulating the Brain
Studying patients with brain damage.
How do scientists study patients with brain damage?
The scientists can understand the effect that damage to a small part of the brain can have on a patient
- Can see what part of the brain is damaged by looking at the effect the damage had on a person
- brain damaged by stroke, patient has gone blind, part of brain damaged= to do with vision
How do scientists Electrically stimulate the brain to study it?
Pushing a small electrode into the tissue, giving it a small charge. Observing the effect of the stimulus, scientists can figure out what parts of the brain control what.
- area is stimulated, causes muscle contraction, brain part controls motor
How can scientists use MRI scans to study the brain?
-Machine that produces a detailed image of brain structures
- can see what areas of the brain are active when people do things (listen to music, try to recall a memory)
- Magnetic resonance imaging
How can the investigation into the brain have consequences?
- difficult, complex
- risks: physical damage to brain, increase problems with brain function (difficulty to speak)
How can the investigation into the brain be beneficial?
Led to the development for disorders
- reduce muscle tremors caused by nervous system (Parkinsons)
What are the components of the eye?
Sclera: Tough, supporting wall of the eye
Cornea: Transparent outer layer at front of the eye (refracts light into the eye)
Iris: Muscles that allow control of diameter of the pupil, how much light enters the eye
Pupil: Hole in the middle of the eye, changes diameter to let light into the eye
Lens: Focuses light onto the retina
Retina: Contains receptor cells sensitive to light intensity and colour
Ciliary muscles: Controls shape of lens
Suspensory ligaments: Controls shape of lens
Optic nerve: Carried impulses from retina receptors to brain
What is the fovea?
Point in the Retina where light aims to focus
- high number of receptors
How does the Iris adjust to bright light?
- Bright light can damage the iris
- reflex is triggered
- Circular muscles contract
- Radial muscles relax
- Makes pupil smaller, reduces amount of light going into eye
How does the Iris adjust to dim light?
- Dim light triggers a reflex
- Circular muscles relax
- Radial muscles contract
- Makes pupils larger, increases amount of light going into the eye
What is accommodation?
The eye changes the shape of the lens to focus light on the retina
How does the eye change lens shape to focus on nearby objects?
- Ciliary muscles contract
- Suspensory ligaments slacken
- Lens becomes short and fat, increasing the angle of light refraction
How does the eye change lens shape to focus on far away objects?
- Ciliary muscles relax
- Suspensory ligaments contract
- Lens becomes long and thin, decreases the angle of light refraction
What is Hyperopia?
The condition which leaves people unable to focus on near objects (long-sighted)
- lens is too short, fat, doesn’t refract light enough
- focuses image behind retina
What is Myopia?
The condition which leaves people unable to focus on distant objects
-lens is too long, thin, refracts light too much
- image is formed in front of the retina
How do you correct Hyperopia?
Glasses with a convex lens
- refracts light to focus on the retina
How can you correct Myopia?
- Use glasses with a concave lens
- light focuses on retina
What are other treatments for vision defects?
(not glasses)
- Contact lenses
- Laser eye surgery
- Replacement lens surgery
What are Contact lenses?
Thin lenses that sit on top of the eye
- lightweight, invisible
- more convenient than glasses
- Soft lenses, Hard lenses
What is Laser eye surgery?
Laser vaporises tissue, changing the shape of the cornea (the strength of refraction)
Slim down cornea- myopia
Strengthen cornea - hyperopia
- risk of surgical complication
What is Replacement lens surgery?
Replacing the lens of the eye- Long-sighted
- natural lens replaces with artificial lens
- Higher risk than laser, possible damage of the retina (worse vision, blind)
What is the Body’s temperature
37 degrees
What controls body temperature?
Thermoregulatory centre in brain
- contains temperature sensitive receptors (of the blood)
- skin (skin temperature)