Longer answer questions for Bio

Question 1

Body Response to High temp

Answer 1

If the body temperature is too high, blood vessels dilate (vasodilation) and sweat is produced from the sweat glands

Both mechanisms cause transfer of energy from the skin to the environment cooling body down

Question 2

Body response to Low Temp

Answer 2

If body temp is too low, blood vessels constrict (vasoconstriction)
=> sweating stops
=> skeletal muscles contract (shiver)

These mechanisms reduce heat loss to the surroundings
=> (muscles contract increasing heavy released by the body)

Question 3

Control blood glucose levels

Answer 3

Monitored and controlled by the pancreas
Also plays vital role in digestion (making and secreting enzymes into the digestion)
=> amylase and lipase (insulin)

If the blood glucose concentration is too high, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin to bring it back down
Too high a level of glucose in the blood can lead to cells of the body losing water by osmosis, which can be dangerous

Insulin stimulates cells to take in glucose from bloodstream
Excess glucose converted into glycogen for storage

Question 4

Type 1 diabetes

Answer 4

Pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin to control blood glucose levels

A person’s own immune system destroying the cells of the pancreas that make insulin during development

Type 1 is characterised by uncontrolled high blood glucose levels and is normally treated with insulin injections

Question 5

Type 2 diabetes

Answer 5

Body cells no longer respond to insulin produced by the pancreas
The person still makes insulin but cells are resistant to it and don’t respond as well as they should do

=> uncontrolled high blood glucose levels

Question 6

Negative Feedback of Blood glucose

Answer 6

If blood glucose levels are low - pancreas produces hormone Glucagon- that causes glycogen to be converted into glucose to be released into the blood

Glucagon and insulin interact as part of a negative feedback cycle to control blood glucose in the body

Insulin is produced when blood glucose rises and stimulates liver and muscle cells to convert excess glucose into glycogen to be stored- This reduces blood glucose levels

Glucagon is produced when blood glucose falls too low and stimulates liver and muscle cells to convert stored glycogen into glucose to be released into bloodstream
=> this increases blood glucose levels

Question 7

Maintain Water and Nitrogen Balance in the Body

Answer 7

If cells lose and gain too much water by osmosis they do not function efficiently:

Too much water in blood results in cells swelling as water moves into them
=> lead to lysis (bursting)

Too little water in blood
=> dehydrate and cell death

There are 2 sources of water in our body:

Water as by-product of aerobic respiration
Water from diet

Water is lost from the following ways:

Leaves the body via lungs during exhalation
Water, ions and urea are lost via sweat

However, the lungs and skin have no control over how much water, ion or urea is lost via exhalation or sweating