Organisation Flashcards
what is a tissue?
-a group of cells with a similar structure or function
what is an organ?
-a group of tissues working together for a specific function
-organs are grouped into organ systems which work together to form organisms
what is digestion?
-when large food molecules are broken down into small molecules by enzymes
-these small molecules can then be absorbed into the bloodstream
what is an example of an organ?
-the stomach which contains muscular tissue and glandular tissue (releases enzymes)
what are the three main nutrients food contains?
-carbohydrates e.g starch
-protein
-lipids ( fats )
describe the process of digestion + main functions of the different organs.
-first, food is chewed in the mouth. Enzymes in the saliva begin to digest the starch into smaller sugar molecules
-the food then passes down the oesophagus into the stomach . In the stomach, enzymes begin the digestion of proteins
-the stomach also contains hydrochloric acid which helps the enzymes to digest proteins
-churning action of the stomach muscles turns food into fluid increasing the surface area for enzymes to digest.
-fluid passes into the small intestine
-chemicals are released into small intestine from the liver and pancreas
-pancreas releases enzymes which continue the digestion of starch and protein. They also start the digestion of lipids
-the liver releases bile which helps speed up the digestion of lipids.Bile also neutralises acid released from the stomach
-the walls of the small intestine release enzymes to continue the digestion of protein and lipids
-in the small intestine, the food molecules produced by digestion are absorbed into the bloodstream either by diffusion or active transport.
-fluid makes its way through the large intestine, where water is absorbed into the blood stream
-faeces is released from the body
what happens to products of digestion?
-products of digestion are used by the body to build new carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
-some of the glucose produced is used in respiration
what are enzymes and what do they do?
-enzymes catalyse chemical reactions.
-they are large protein molecules that have a groove on their surface called the active site
-the active site is where the substrate attaches to
-enzymes are specific. The substrate must fit perfectly into the active site ( lock and key theory)
what are proteins broken down by?
-enzymes called proteases found in the pancreatic fluid and the stomach
what are proteins?
-the long chains of chemicals called amino acids
describe what happens when we digest proteins.
-the protease enzymes convert the protein back to the individual amino acids which are then absorbed into the bloodstream
-when the amino acids are absorbed by the body cells, they are joined together in a different order to make human proteins
what is starch?
- a chain of glucose molecules
what are carbohydrates broken down by ? +
what do they produce when digested?
-enzymes called carbohydrases
-in the case of starch this is called amylase
-amylase is found in the saliva and pancreatic fluid
-when carbohydrates like starch are digested we produce simple sugars
what is a lipid molecule?
-a molecule of glycerol attached to three molecules of fatty acids
what are lipid molecules digested by?
-the enzyme lipase which produces glycerol and fatty acids
-lipase is found in the pancreatic fluid and in the small intestine
where is bile made and how does it affect lipids?
-in the liver and stored in the gall bladder
-bile converts large lipid droplets into smaller droplets
-bile emulsifies the lipid which increases the surface area of the lipid droplets
-this increases the rate of lipid breakdown by lipase
what is bile?
-alkaline which allows it to neutralise stomach acid, creating alkaline conditions in the small intestine
-this increases the rate of lipid digestion by lipase
what is the definition of enzymes?
-biological catalysts which speed up the rate of chemical reactions without being used up.
how does the shape of an enzyme affect its function?
-enzymes have a specific active site which is complementary to their substrate
describe how temperature affects the activity of enzyme
-as we increase the temperature, the activity of the enzyme increases
-this is due to the enzyme and substrate moving faster so there are more collisions per second between the substrate and the active site
-at a certain temperature, the enzyme is working at the fastest possible rate - the optimum temperature
-there is maximum frequency of successful collisions between the substrate and active site
-as we increase temperature past the optimum, enzyme activity rapidly decreases to zero
-this is due to the shape of the active site changing
-substrate no longer fits perfectly into the active site. Active site is denatured.
-the enzyme can no longer catalyse the reaction
describe the affect of pH on the activity of enzyme
-the enzyme has an optimum pH - activity is maximum
-if we make pH more acidic or alkaline then activity drops to zero
-active site denatures if conditions are too acidic or too alkaline
-if enzyme works best at an acidic pH it could be a protease enzyme in stomach
-if enzyme works best at alkaline pH it could be an enzyme released from pancreas into small intestine
how is the small intestine adapted for absorbing the products of digestion? + 5 ways
-the small intestine is long providing a very large surface area for the absorption of the products of digestion
-the interior of the small intestine is covered with millions of villi which increase the surface area for the absorption of molecules
-microvilli on the surface increase surface area further
-villi have very good blood supply and this increases the concentration gradient
-villi have a thin membrane which ensures a short diffusion path
describe the circulatory system in fish
-single circulatory system
-deoxygenated blood is pumped from the heart to the gills where it becomes oxygenated
-the oxygenated blood passes from the gills to the organs where the oxygen diffuses out of the blood and into body cells
-the blood then returns to the heart
what is the problem with the single circulatory system in fish?
-the blood loses pressure as it passes through the gills before reaching the organs
-the blood travels to the organs slowly, delivering less oxygen