Lecture 15: Hunger and Thirst Flashcards
homeostasis
Process by which the body’s substances and characteristics (such as temperature and glucose level) are maintained at their optimal level
ingestive behaviour
Eating or drinking
system variable
Variable that is controlled by regulatory mechanisms
corectional mechanism
in the regulatory process, a mechanism that is capable of changing the value of system variable
negative feedback
Process whereby the effect produced by a correctional mechanism serves to diminish or terminate the corrective action
satiety mechanism
Brain mechanism that causes cessation of hunger or thirst, produced by adequate and available supplies of nutrients or water
drinking steps
Body loses water
Detectors signal a loss of water
Correctional mechanism (drinking)
The stomach fills with water, sending signals to the brain
The satiety mechanism inhibits further drinking
where is water lcoated in the body?
67% intracellular fluid
26% interstitial fluid
7% intravascular fluid (blood plasma)
Less than 1% cerebrospinal fluid
two types of thirst
volumetric & osmometric
volumetric thirst
Occurs when there is not enough blood circulating in the body
how is blood flow monitored
by the kidneys. Low blood flow causes the kidneys to release renin, which triggers a hormone-signalling cascade that promotes thirst, among other things.
what causes the feeling of thirst?
the activation of hypothalamic neurons near the anteroventral tip of the third ventricle (the AV3V region), where the blood-brain barrier is weak
tonicity
the relative concentration of dissolved solutes (e.g., salt) on either side of a membrane that is permeable to water.
isotonic solution
similar solute concentrations are present inside and outside the cell. The cell will neither gain nor lose water
hypotonic solution
solute is less concentrated outside the cell than in, so water will enter the cell
hypertonic solution
solute is more concentrated outside the cell than in, so water will leave the cell
effect of hypertonic solutions on the cell
causes cellular dehydration (water leaves the cell)
osmoreceptors
neurons that detect changes in cell size, which corresponds to interstitial solute concentration
what happens when humans ingest hypertonic solutions
strongly activate neurons in both the AV3V region and the anterior cingulate cortex
what happens when humans drink water?
immediately quenches thirst and reduces thirst-related activity in the anterior cingulate
effect of cold sensors on thirst
Cold sensors in the mouth and sensory fibres in the stomach are part of the rapid satiety feedback mechanism
3 main components of food
Sugars (carbohydrates)
Lipids (triglycerides)
Amino acids (proteins)
what happens when blood glucose levels are high?
the pancreas releases insulin. This causes liver and muscle cells to store glucose as glycogen
what happens when blood glucose levels are low?
the pancreas releases glucagon. This causes liver and muscle cells to convert glycogen back into glucose
how do cells internalize glucose?
with a glucose transporter
glucose transporters outside the brain
require insulin to be functional
when do cells outside the brain use glucose?
when there is an excess (signalled by insulin)
how do cells produce energy when there is no glucose?
they must break down fatty acids to create the glucose they need for energy
how do cells in the brain produce energy when there is no glucose?
Cells within the brain have an additional glucose transporter that works in the absence of insulin, so brain cells can always internalize sugar
what happens to the pancreas when there is a decrease in glucose?
it stops secreting insulin and starts secreting glucagon
what happens when there is an absence of glucose
most cells can no longer use glucose
where is glucose in the blood sent
the CNS
glycogen
Polysaccharide often referred to as animal starch
Stored in the liver and muscle
Constitutes the short-term storage of nutrients
insulin
Pancreatic hormone that facilitates 1) conversion of glucose into glycogen, 2) entry of glucose and amino acids into cells of the body, and 3) transport of fats into adipose tissue
glucagon
Pancreatic hormone that promotes 1) conversion of liver glycogen into glucose, and 2) conversion of adipose triglycerides into fatty acids.
what is the result of glucagon signalling
promotes the breakdown of trigylcerides into fatty acids
triglyceride
Form of fat storage in adipose cells (fat cells). Constitutes the long-term storage of nutrients
Consists of a molecule of glycerol joined with three fatty acids