Physiology Flashcards
“The study of nature;” Deals with the normal functioning of living organisms and their parts
Physiology
The mechanism, explained in terms of physiology, by which a disease process causes the body to fail.
Pathophysiology
This governs the basic acitivities of cell and coordinates multiple-cell actions
Signalling
An entity that codes or conveys information
A signal
A tailor-made clinical model whereby therapy is delivered on an individualised basis
Personalised medicine
Gene therapy for Cystic Fibrosis, and drug recommendations based on molecular subtyping of cancer are examples of what type of medicine?
Personalised medicine
The grouping of patients based on risk of disease or response to therapy by using diagnostic tests or techniques
Stratified medicine
Applying basic research to a clinical setting
Translational research
A characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention
Biomarker
Name an example of a biomarker
BRCA1 or HER2 (Breast cancer protein biomarkers)
The regulation of the state of cells and of the body. Normally about maintaining something at a particular desired level or set point.
Homeostasis
The regulatory mechanism present in many biologicical reactions that allows certain pathways to be turned on or off
Feedback
A type of regulation in which the end product of a process in turn reduces the stimulus of that same process
Negative feedback
Temperature regulation is an example of what type of feedback?
Negative feedback
Blood glucose control is an example of what type of feedback?
Negative feedback
The process by which the end products of an action causes more of that action to occur in a feedback loop, which ultimately amplifies the original action.
Positive feedback
Contractions of labour are an example of what type of feedback?
Positive feedback
Solute molecules passively moving down a concentration gradient, resulting in concentrations equalisation
Diffusion
Molecules of a solvent pass through a semi-permeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one
Osmosis
The __________ _____________ across different sites generates the potential for physiological changes
ionic differences
Which ion has the highest concentration inside the cell (in the cytosol?)
Potassium (K+)
Is the concentration of calcium ions higher inside the cell, or outside the cell?
Outside the cell
Which ions have the highest concentration in the blood?
Sodium, followed by chloride
What is the most important biological solvent?
Water
What are the substances called that are dissolved in to the solvent?
Solute
What percentage of our body fluids are intracellular vs extracellular?
2/3 (intracellular) vs 1/3 (extracellular)
Name three examples of where extracellular fluids are found
Plasma, interstitial fluid, and transcellular fluid
This is the difference in potential energy between two points in an electrical field
Voltage
Are cell membranes permeable to charged ions?
No
The membrane potential is is based on the balance between:
positive and negative charges across the membrane
This type of force is based upon the difference in ionic concentration across the membrane
Chemical force (or diffusional force)
This type of force is created when a few positive charges are not paired with negative charges on the same side of the membrane
Electrical force
We tend to have more sodium ions outside of the cell, which results in a comparitively _________ extracellular charge
positive
When potassium channels are operating as a consequence of the concentration gradient of K+, which favours it moving out, and the electrical gradient, which favours K+ moving in, this is known as the
Potassium equalibrium potential
In the potassium equalibrium potential, the effect of the _________ force is counteracted by the _________ force moving in the other direction
Electrical/chemical
Movement of _______ across membranes generates voltage differences that are then utilised by excitable cells
Ions
What are the excitable cell types?
Neuronal cells and muscle cells (skeletal, smooth, cardiac)
Rule of ionic balance #1:
The __________ of positive and negative ions must “nearly” balance
concentration
Rule of ionic balance #2:
Any ion that leaves the cell must be replaced by…
…another ion of that type coming into the cell
Rule of ionic balance #3:
________ is always being used to re-establish the ionic gradients across membranes.
Energy
Name an example of a drug that targets an ion channel
Proton pump inhibitors, which effectively lower the movement of H+ ions to the lumen of the gladm, increasing the pH of the stomach.
This is an important enzyme that is critical for our acid-base physiology
Carbonic anhydrase
The carbonic anhydrase reaction goes forward where CO2 is ________
High (e.g. active muscle)
The carbonic anhydrase reaction goes backwards where CO2 is ________
Low (e.g. lungs)
