Lecture 1 Flashcards
complex system approach
knowledge of the elements is essential to understanding the system but greater emphasis is placed on investigating and understanding the system as a whole.
three major types of substances can cross membranes
- solvents
- electrolytes
- nonelectrolytes
convection
movement of a solute based on a pressure gradient. the pressure differential will dictate the rate of flow. the flow always goes from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
diffusion
the movement of particles dissolved in a solvent from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
electric current
movement of charged particles (ions) under the action of a difference of potentials
osmosis
movement of water from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration; the total concentration of particles matter
in a state of equilibrium, the movements of all particles are _____. there are no net charges in the concentrations
counterbalanced
three important properties of ion channels in signaling in the nervous system
- they conduct ions
- they recognize specific ions
- they open and close in response to specific electrical, mechanical and chemical signals
up to ______ ions can pass through a single channel per second
100 million
Ion channels allow for rapid changes in _____.
membrane potential
reductionism
reducing the elements of a system to a basic level of functioning elements