Physiology and Respiration Flashcards
Digestive System
- Absorption: Movement of a fluid or dissolved substances across a membrane
- Assimilation: Conversion of nutrients into fluid or solid parts of an organism

Peristalsis
- Peristalsis: Continuous segments of smooth muscle (longitudinal & circular) rhythmically contracting & relaxing, causing food to move unidirectionally along alimentary canal from mouth to anus.
- Circ. muscles contract behind food to constrict gut & prevent food from being pushed back towards mouth, whilst long. muscle contract perp. to food location, moving food along gut.
- Contractions controlled unconsciously by enteric nervous system rather than brain.
- Segmentation (peristalsis in stomach/small intestine) contractions move chyme bidirectionally allowing for greater mixing of food with dig. juices
Label Cross-Section of Small Intestine/Ileum.
- Serosa: Protective outer coat composed of layer of cells reinforced by fibrous connective tissue.
- Muscle layers: Layer of long. muscle (peristalsis) & inner layer of circ. muscle (segmentation)
- Sub-mucosa: Layer composed of connective tissue separating muscle layer from mucosa; contains blood and lymph vessels.
- Mucosa: Highly folded innermost layer with epithelium on its inner surface that absorbs nutrients from intestinal lumen.

Digestive Enzymes

Villi Features (MR SLIM)
- Microvilli: Ruffling of epithelial membrane further increases surface area
- Rich blood supply: Dense capillary network rapidly transports absorbed products
- Single layer epithelium: Minimises diffusion distance between lumen and blood
- Lacteals: Absorbs lipids from the intestine into the lymphatic system
- Intestinal glands: Exocrine pits (crypts of Lieberkuhn) release digestive juices
- Membrane proteins: Facilitates transport of digested materials into epithelial cells
Digestion of compounds
-
Triglycerides:
- Triglucerides digested into fatty acids and monoglycerides by lipase.
- Absorbed into villus epithelial cells by simple diffusion or fac. diff. (by carriers).
- Fatty acids re-combine with monoglycerides to produce triglycerides, which prevents diffusion back into lumen of small intestine.
- Triglycerides merge with cholesterol to form fat droplets, coated by phospholipids & protein = lipoproteins
- Lipoproteins released through plasma membrane (exocytosis) on inner side of villus epithelium cells.
- Lipoproteins enter lacteal & are carried away in lymph or enter blood capillaries in villi.
-
Starch:
- 1,4 bonds in amylose & amylopectin (starch) broken by amylase in saliva into mixture of maltose (2-glucose) & maltotriose (3-glucose) fragments.
- Amylase can’t break 1,6-bonds in amylopectin, forms dextrins (1,6 fragments).
- Microvilli membranes in small int. contain maltase, glucosidase & dextrinase to digest maltose, maltotriose & dextrins into glucose & complete dig. of starch.
- Glucose abserbed to villus capillary, which carries blood to venules in sub-mucosa of small intestine wall.
- Hepatic portal vein then takes venule blood to liver, where excess gluc. absorbed by liver cells & assimilated to glycogen for storage.
- Proteins:
William Harvey’s Heart
- William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood, with arteries & veins belonging to same blood network.
- Showed that valves in the veins/heart ensure unidirectional flow of blood
- Predicted existence of capillaries.
- Showed that blood wasn’t consumed by body (proposed by Galen)
- Showed that Galen’s theories were false.
Arteries
- Arteries: Carry blood at high press. from ventricles to body tissues.
- Artery Wall composed of several layers:
- Tunica externa: Tough outer layer, has collagen that prevents artery ruptures.
- Tunica media: Thick layer, has smooth muscle & elastic fibres made of elastin.
- Tunica intima: Smooth endothelium forming artery lining.
-
Tunica Media tissue:
- Elastic Fibres: Store EPE by stretching at systolic press. & use EPE at diastolic press. to propel blood along artery & maintain high press.
- Smooth Muscle Fibres: Rigidify arterial wall to handle high blood press., without rupturing; & determine lumen diameter by contracting/relaxing, which affects press. between pumps & helps maintain blood press. throughout cardiac cycle.
- Both tissues contribute to wall toughness, needed to withstand constantly changing & intermittently high blood press. without forming outward bulge or bursting.
-
Arterial Flow:
- Heart expels blood upon ventricular contraction & flows through arteries at high press. in pulses.
- Circ. (smooth) muscle in arterial wall form ring that contracts, which dec. lumen diameter –> inc. pressure of blood entering arteries to systolic levels –> blood exerts press. onto arterial wall, forcing elastic fibres in wall to stretch & expand, thus storing elastic PE.
- When circ. muscles dilate (further along artery), lumen diameter inc. –> dec. blood press. in arteries to diastolic levels –> artery returns to norm. size (elastic recoil) using EPE, which propels blood along artery, saving energy & preventing diastolic press. becoming too low.

Veins
- Veins: Veins collect blood from body tissues & return it at low press. to heart atria.
- Vein flow:
- Venous wall thinner as it contains less smooth muscle (and elastic fibres), so lumen is wider –> dec. press. –> allows more blood to enter vein at once.
- Blood continuously progresses along arteries (not via periodic pulses)
- Flow usually assisted by gravity. But when it’s not, press. also exerted onto venous walls by (dec. its press. and inc. flow) :
- Periodic contraction of skeletal muscles adjacent to veins.
- Bulges of arteries parallel to vein
-
Valves: Gates that ensure unidirectional blood circulation using press. changes caused by arterial bulges & skeletal muscle contractions to prevent backflow of blood.
- If blood starts to flow backwards, caught in valve flaps → fill with blood, blocking vein lumen.
- When blood flows towards heart, flaps pushed to sides of vein (valve opens) & blood flows freely.
Capillaries
- Capillaries: Narrowest blood vessels that exchange materials between cells in body tissues & blood travelling at low press.
-
Capillaries Structure:
- Small diameter, inc. body cap. for capill., which dec. diff. distance & allows for optimal exchange of nutrients.
- Capill. wall made of single endothelium layer → short diffusion distances.
- Also surrounded by basement membrane that is permeable to necessary materials.
-
Capillary Flow:
-
Branching: Artery → arteriole → capillary
(network) → (pool into) venules → vein. - Extensive branching + lumen narrowing
inc. total vol. of vessels → dissipate high arterial blood press. → blood flows through capill. slowly & at low press. to allow for max. material exchange. - Hydrostatic press. at arteriole end of capill. > blood osmotic press. → forces nutrients from blood into plasma, which
leaks from capill. pores at body tissues. - Hydrostatic press. at venule end of capill. < blood osmotic press. → forces
waste from tissues (e.g. CO2 + urea) to enter bloodstream.
-
Branching: Artery → arteriole → capillary
-
Capillaries structure & permeability varies depending on its location in body & specific role, as well as in time:
- Capillary wall maybe continuous with endothelial cells held together by tight junctions to limit perm. of large molecules.
- In absorption-specialised tissue (e.g. intestines, kidneys), capillary wall fenestrated → leaks out tissue fluid (plasma containing nutrients).
- Sinusoidal capillaries have open spaces between cells, so permeable to larger molecules & cells (e.g. in liver)
- Permeabilities change over time as capill.
repair & remodel in response to current
needs of tissues that they perfuse.
Vessel Comparision

Heart Structure
- Heart has 2 sides, L & R, that pump blood to systemic & pulmonary circulations.
-
Each side has 2 chambers:
- Atrium is smaller chamber, collects blood from veins & transfers it to ventricle.
- Ventricle is large chamber, pumps blood out into arteries.
-
Each side has 2 valves:
-
Atrioventricular Valve between atrium & ventricle:
- Bicuspid on L
- Tricuspid on R
-
Semilunar Valve between ventricle & artery:
- Aortic on L
- Pulmonary on R
-
Atrioventricular Valve between atrium & ventricle:
-
Blood Vessels:
- Vena Cava (inferior & superior): Returns deoxygenated blood from body into RA.
- Pulmonary Artery: Sends deoxygenated blood to lungs from RV.
- Pulmonary Vein: Returns deoxygenated blood from lungs into LA.
- Aorta: Sends oxygenated blood around body from LV.
Heart Contractions
- Heart contractions are myogenic, meaning that cardiac muscle cells generate their own signal for contractions, rather than relying on motor neurone stimulation.
- SAN: Small cluster of specialised cardiac muscle cells with extensive membranes in RA wall; have fastest rate of depolarisation. Initiate & control rate at which heart beats.
- Extensive SAN cell membranes depolarise
upon contraction → activates adjacent cells, which also contract, etc. → electrical impulse to spread throughout atria walls. - SAN initiates each heartbeat, as SAN cell membranes are first to depolarise in each cardiac cycle, & control rate of heartbeat depending on rate of depolarisation.
Pacemaker
- SAN regulated by medulla oblongata (in cardiovascular centre).
- Cardiovascular centre receives inputs from receptors monitoring blood press, its pH & [O2]
-
Sympathetic nerves speed up rate of SAN depolarisation by releasing noradrenaline →
inc. rate of myocardial contraction when low blood press, [O2] & pH → inc. rate of blood flow to tissues → inc. O2 delivered + CO2 taken -
Parasympathetic nerves slow up rate of SAN
depolarisation by releasing acetylcholine →
dec. rate of myocardial contraction when high blood press, [O2] & pH → dec. rate of blood flow to tissues → dec. O2 delivered + CO2 taken -
Adrenalin: Hormone secreted by adrenal glands → inc. rate of SAN depolarisation.
- Secretion controlled by brain
- Secreted when vigorous physical activity required for a threat or opportunity.
- Interference of pacemakers lead to irregular & uncoordinated contraction of heart muscle (fibrillation), which may only be re-established with controlled electrical current (defibrillation)
- Defective SANs require artificial pacemakers placed under skin with electrodes implanted in RA wall to initiate heartbeats in place of SAN.
Cardiac Cycle
- Deoxygenated blood returns from all parts of body (except lungs); enters RA via vena cava. AV valve is open; SL valve is closed.
- SAN contracts + depolarises, sending elec. impulse → stimulates myocardium contraction
- Myocardium contractions spread signal throughout atrial walls → L & R atria contract
- Atria contractions → inc. atrial press. > ventricular press. → Only AV valves open →
blood pumped to ventricles.- Also spread signal to junction between atria & ventricles → stimulates AV node contraction + depolarisation.
- Time delay exists between atria contraction & impulse transmission, allowing time for ventricles to fill.
- AV node sends impulses, via nerve fibres, down septum → spreading signal throughout ventricular walls → ventricles contract.
- Meanwhile, atrial press. dec. as ventricular press. inc. until < ventricular press. as blood continues to flow in them, but no blood pumped in → AV valves close to prevent backflow of blood & further inc. ventricle press.
- Ventricle contractions → inc. ventricular press. > aortic press. → SL valves open → Blood pumped into aorta.
- Meanwhile, vena cava feeding atria → inc.
atrial press, causing them to fill until atrial press. > ventricular press.- Occurs as ventricle contraction dissipates → ventricle press. dec. < aortic press. → SL & AV valves closed.
- AV valve re-opens once ventricle press.
> atrial press. to repeat cycle.
- Cycle ensures delay between atria & ventricle
contractions, resulting in 2 heart sounds due to
closing of AV valves (1st), then SL valves (2nd)

Heart Disease
-
Coronary Arteries: Surround heart & nourish cardiac muscle to keep heart working
- Blood pumped through heart is at high press, so can’t be used to supply cardiac muscle with O2 & nutrients
- If coronary arteries become occluded, One of the causes being atherosclerosis in coronary arteries.
-
Coronary Occlusion: Narrowing of arteries that supply blood containing O2 & nutrients to cardiac muscle → region of tissue nourished by blocked artery to die & cease to function.
- Caused by Atherosclerosis: Hardening & narrowing of arteries due to development of atheroma (fatty deposits) in artery wall adjacent to endothelium.
-
Causes of atherosclerosis:
- Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) accumulate in atheroma.
- Phagocytes then attracted by signals from endothelium cells and smooth muscle.
- Phagocytes engulf fats & cholesterol by endocytosis & grow → artery wall bulging into lumen → dec. diameter of lumen →
restricts blood flow → inc. arterial press. → stresses arterial wall → damage. - Damaged region repaired with smooth muscle → dec. artery wall thickness →
forms lesions, which trigger blood clots if ruptured.
-
Consequences of atherosclerosis:
- May lead to coronary thrombosis, which causes CHD if in cor. arteries.
- Lack of O2 (anoxia) from blocked coronary arteries causes pain (angina), & impairs myocardial tissue’s ability to contract →
heart beats faster to maintain blood circulation with some of its muscle out of action. Heart beats irregularly (fibrillation) & if fully blocked → heart attack. - Coronary artery blockages usually treated by by-pass surgery or creating a stent.
-
Coronary Thrombosis: Clot formation within coronary arteries.
- Coronary occlusion, damage to capillary epithelium, hardening of arteries, & atheroma ruptures all inc. risk.
- Factors affecting risk of coronary thrombosis and heart attacks:
Smoking
High [blood cholesterol]
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Lack of exercise
But correlation doesn’t produce causation.
-
Factors associated with inc. risk of CHD:
- Age: Blood vessels become less flexible with advancing age
- Genetics: Having hypertension inc. chance of developing CHD.
- Obesity: Being overweight places an additional strain on the heart
- Diseases: Certain diseases increase the risk of CHD (e.g. diabetes)
- Diet: Diets rich in saturated fats, salts and alcohol increases the risk
- Exercise: Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of developing CHD
- Sex: Males are at a greater risk due to lower oestrogen levels
- Smoking: Nicotine causes vasoconstriction, raising blood pressure
Skin & Mucous Membranes
- Skin & mucous membranes form primary defence against pathogens causing infections.
-
Skin:
- Thick outermost layer made of keratin, which is hard & tough, provides physical barrier to physical and chemical damage as well as direct entry to pathogens.
- Sebaceous Glands: Associated with hair follicles, secrete sebum, which maintains skin moisture and slightly lowers pH, which inhibits growth of bacteria & fungi.
- Skin also secretes lactic & fatty acids to lower pH, also inhibits microbial growth.
-
Mucous Membranes: Thinner & softer membranes found in nasal passages, head of penis, & foreskin of vagina. Secretes mucus, tears, saliva, etc.
-
Mucus: Sticky glycoprotein solution
that traps pathogens & harmful particles (which are swallowed or expelled). - Mucus has antiseptic properties as it contains lysosyme, which destroys cell walls & causes cells to lyse.
- Mucous membranes maybe ciliated to aid in removal of pathogens (along with phy. actions like coughing / sneezing)
-
Mucus: Sticky glycoprotein solution
Blood Clotting
- Clotting: Mechanism by which broken blood vessels are repaired when damaged. Prevents blood loss from body & limits pathogenic access to bloodstream when skin is damaged.
- Blood clotting involves cascade of reactions, each of which produces catalyst for next reaction, stimulated by clotting factors released from damaged cells (extrinsic pathway) & platelets (intrinsic pathway)
- Clotting strictly controlled by catalysts as it occurs inside blood vessels & may cause blockages.
- Vessel lining injury triggers clotting factor release.
-
Clotting factors:
- Activate platelets (blood-circulating cellular fragments) → structural change → form sticky aggregates, which adhere to damaged region to form plugs.
- Cause localised vasoconstriction to dec. blood flow through damaged region
- Catalyse prothrombin → thrombin (enzymes), which catalyses (soluble) fibrinogen → (insoluble) fibrin (proteins)
- Fibrin strands form fibre mesh in cuts, trapping more platelets & blood cells around platelet plug.
- Final clot initially a gel, but dries to form hard scab if exposed to air, prevents pathogen entry.
Phagocytes
-
Phagocytes provide 2nd line of defence:
- Phagocytes squeeze out through capillary wall pores & move to infection sites in response to chemicals released by damaged tissues.
- Phagocytes surround & engulf pathogen, by forming int. vesicle with pathogen in it.
- Vesicle then fused to lysosome within &
pathogen digested using lysozyme. - Large numbers of phagocytes attracted by infected wounds, resulting in pus.
- Phagocytes = non-specific & respond to infection always in same way.
Antibodies provide 3rd line of defence:
- MHC: Chemical that body recognises as “self”, is tolerated by immune system.
- Antigen: Chemical that body recognises as foreign, stimulates immune response.
-
Antibodies: Y-shaped proteins made by B-cells specific to a given antigen. 2 functional parts:
- Hyper-variable region that binds to specific antigen, diff. between antibodies.
- Another region that helps prevent viruses from docking to host cells so that they can’t enter cells and opsonisation (PANIC):
-
Precipitation: Soluble pathogens →
insoluble for easier phagocytosis. - Agglutination: Clumping of cellular pathogens for easier removal
- Neutralisation: Antibodies may occlude pathogenic regions.
- Inflammation: Trigger inflammatory response within body
-
Complement Activation: Activates
(complement) prots that cause lysis. - PANI aids opsonisation & phagocytosis, whilst C causes lysis.
-
Precipitation: Soluble pathogens →
- Antibodies = specific & target response specific to given pathogen (so adaptive).
Clonal Selection:
- Non-specific immune cells (macrophages) engulf & digest pathogens non-selectively.
- Some macrophages (dendritic cells) present antigen of pathogen to specific Helper T-cell.
- Helper T-cell binds & is activated by antigen.
- Cytokines stimulate specific B cell that produces antibodies to specific antigen to divide & form clones (clonal selection).
- Most of clones develop into short-lived plasma cells that produce lots of specific antibody.
- Some clones differentiate into long-lived memory cells that provide long-term immunity.
- If 2nd infection with same pathogen occurs, memory cells react + vigorously
to produce antibodies faster. - Antibodies produced faster > pathogen reproduces → not enough to cause disease symptoms.
- If 2nd infection with same pathogen occurs, memory cells react + vigorously
-
Polyclonal Activation: Single pathogen stim.
several diff. T + B lymph. to produce diff.
specific antibodies. (occurs as it has >1 antigen)
- Pathogen: Agent that causes disease – either a microorganism, virus or prion
- Pathogens are generally species-specific in that their capacity to cause disease is limited to a particular species.
- Polio, syphilis, measles = diseases caused by pathogens that specifically affect human hosts
- Zoonoses: Animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans.
- Rabies (dogs), Bird flu (birds) & bubonic plague (rats) = diseases caused by zoonoses.
- Transmission of infectious diseases occur via:
- Direct Contact: Transfer of pathogens via physical contact or fluid exchange.
- Contamination: Ingestion of pathogens growing on, or in, edible food sources
- Airborne: Pathogens transferred in air via coughing & sneezing
- Vectors: Intermediary orgs that transfer pathogens without dev disease symptoms themselves (e.g. mosquitoes, rats).
Allergens
**Allergen:** Env. substance that triggers localised immune response (exposure region) despite not being harmful in practice
Anaphylaxis: Severe systemic allergic reaction; can be fatal if left untreated.
Allergic Reaction split into 2 parts:
- Allergen first enters bloodstream
- Specific B cell differentiates into plasma cells, which make antibodies that attach to mast cells
- When allergen re-enters bloodstream, it binds to antibodies in mast cells, which release
* *histamine:**- ↑ Permeability → swelling (due to + fluid leaking from blood) & pain (swelling causes compression of nerves)
- Vasodilation → redness + heat as blood closer to skin.
- Inflammation → ↑ leukocyte mobility to infected regions.
HIV-AIDS
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): Retrovirus that infects & destroys helper T cells, causing patients to progressively lose ability to produce antibodies.
- HIV = retrovirus, so has RNA genes & uses reverse transcriptase to make DNA copies of its genes once it exerts host helper T-cell.
- Following infection, virus undergoes period of inactivity during which infected helper T cells reproduce.
- Eventually, virus becomes active again, destroying helper T-cells & begins to spread.
- Anti-Retroviral drugs slow down rate of Helper T-cell destruction.
- AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome when syndrome of conditions (due to HIV killing helper T-cells) present.
- With dec. in helper T-cell#, antibodies unable to be produced, resulting in lowered immunity, allowing opportunistic infections to strike, which usually kill patient if not managed.
-
AIDS spreads by blood to blood contact:
- Sex contact, during which abrasions to mucous membranes of penis and vagina can cause minor bleeding.
- Infected blood transfusion
- “Sharing of hypodermic needles by intravenous drug users”.
-
Reduced by:
- Using latex protection (e.g. condoms) dec. risk of exposure through sex contact.
- Small minority immune to HIV infection.
- HIV = global, but rather prevalent in poorer nations with poor education & health systems.
Vaccines
-
Vaccine: Weak pathogen form containing
enough antigens to stim. memory cell prod. but not enough to cause disease. - When exposed to actual pathogen, memory cells trigger more potent 2º immune response, which prevents disease symptoms from dev.(individual becomes immune to pathogen)
- Length of immunity to infection after vacc. depends on how long memory cells survive for
- Memory cells may not survive lifetime & indiv.
may need booster shots to maintain immunity. - Vaccination confers immunity to vaccinated individuals but also indirectly protects non-vaccinated individuals via herd immunity
- Herd Immunity: Immunity to pathogen given to unvacc. indiv. by lots of immune indivs that vac.
Monoclonal Antibodies
-
Monoclonal antibodies: Artificial antibodies
made from a single B cell clone. - Mouse injected with antigen & produces antigen-specific plasma cells.
- Plasma cells removed & fused (hybridised) with tumor cells capable of endless divisions
- Resulting hybridoma cell capable of synthesising lots of monoclonal antibody.
Therapeutic Use:
- Effective emergency treatment for rabies.
- Targets cancer cells body’s own immune cells fail to recognise as harmful.
Diagnostic Use:
- Pregnancy test via hCG presence in urine
- hCG produced by women during foetal dev, so
monoclonal antibodies ind. hCG in urine. - Pregnancy tests use a process called ELISA to identify substance via colour change:
- 1st set of hCG-specific monoclonal antibodies bound to enzyme “dye”.
- 2nd set of hCG-specific monoclonal antibodies bound to dye substrate.
- hCG in urine binds to both monoclonal antibody sets → bringing enzyme
+ sub. together → changing dye colour. - 3rd set of monoclonal antibodies bind any unattached enzyme-linked antibodies = control.
Antibiotics and Penicillin and Resistance
- Antibiotic: Chemical that kills/inhibits bacteria growth by targeting specifically prokaryote metabolic pathways, so don’t kill human cells.
- Processes targeted:
- Bacterial DNA Replication, Transcription and/or Translation
- Ribosome function
- Cell Wall formation.
- Viral diseases not killed by antibiotics as they lack metabolisms & rely on chemical processes (e.g. DNA trans.) of living host cell, which can’t be targeted as host cell also damaged.
- Antivirals: Drugs that target & inhibit viral enzymes & thus, don’t damage host cell.
- Penicillin: 1st antibiotic discovered, by Alexander Fleming.
- Discovery was accident: Unintended contamination of dish containing S. aureus stimulated Penicillium mould to grow on plate & halo of inhibited bacterial growth observed around mould.
- Fleming concluded that mould was releasing penicillin, which killed nearby bacteria.
- Medical applications of penicillin as an antibiotic later demonstrated by Sir Howard Florey & Ernst Chain:
- 8 mice injected with pathogenic bacteria & ½ subsequently injected with penicillin.
- Untreated mice died of bacterial infection whilst penicillin-treated mice survived – showing its antibiotic potential
- After finding penicillin chem. structure + extensive human-testing, synthetic derivatives created (e.g. methicillin) for use as antibiotics that offer benefits like:
- Greater tolerance
- Greater stability
- Broader spectrum
-
Measures required to avoid antibiotic resistance in bacteria:
- Doctors prescribing antibiotics only for serious bacterial infections.
- Patients completing courses of antibiotics to eliminate infections completely.
- Hospital staff maintaining high standards of hygiene to prevent cross-infection.
- Farmers not using antibiotics in animal feeds to stimulate growth.
- Pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotic types.
Alveoli and Pneumocytes
-
Alveoli: Site of gas exchange.
- Have very thin epithelial layer to dec. diffusion distances for respiratory gases
- Surrounded by rich capillary network to inc. the cap for gas exchange with blood
- Roughly spherical in shape, inc. available SA for gas exchange
- Internal surface covered with layer of fluid, as dissolved gases diffuse better into bloodstream.
- Pneumocytes: cells that line alveoli & comprise of majority of inner surface of lungs. 2 types:
-
Type I: Very thin & flat cells involved in gas exchange between alveoli & capillaries.
- Dec. diff. distance for O2 & CO2
- Connected by occluding junctions that prevent tissue fluid leakage into alveolar air space.
- Amitotic & unable to replicate,
-
Type II: Cuboidal cells that possess many granules that secrete pulmonary surfactant.
- Surfactant create moisture lining on inner alveolar surface → dec. surface tension:
- As alveoli expands with gas intake, surfactant becomes more spread out across moist alveolar lining. → inc. surface tension & slows rate of expansion → all alveoli inflate at roughly same rate.
- Moisture prevents alveoli walls from adhering when air exhaled.
- Mitotic & able to differentiate into type I cells if required.
- Also provides area from which CO2 can evaporate into air and be exhaled.
- Surfactant create moisture lining on inner alveolar surface → dec. surface tension:
Ventilation
-
Inhalation: (NOTE: AWM = Ab Wall Muscles)
- AWM relax, pushed outwards, causing diaphragm to contract, flattening;
- Ext intercostal muscles contract, pulling ribcage upwards and outwards.
- Int intercostal muscles relax, are pulled back to their elongated state.
- All of these cause thorax vol. to inc, which lowers press in thorax
- Air moves from high to low press, so air rushes into lungs.
-
Exhalation: (NOTE: AWM = Ab Wall Muscles)
- AWM contract, causing diaphragm to relax & move upwards into dome shape.
- Ext. intercostal muscles relax, are pulled back to their elongated state.
- Int. intercostal muscles contract, pulling ribcage downwards & inwards.
- All of these cause thorax vol to dec, which inc. press. in thorax.
- Air moves from high to low press., so air rushes out of lungs.
Lung Disease Causes and Consequences
-
Lung Cancer: Uncontrolled lung cell production, leading to abnormal growth of lung tissue (tumour)
-
Causes:
- Tobacco smoke contains many mutagenic chemicals, so incidence of lung cancer tends to inc. with no. of cigarettes smoked per day.
- Passive Smoking: Non-smokers inhaling tobacco smoke exhaled by smokers.
- Air pollution from diesel exhaust fumes, NOx from vehicle exhaust fumes & smoke from burning coal, wood or other organic matter.
-
Consequences:
- Breathing difficulties, persistent coughing, coughing up blood, chest pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, general fatigue.
- Lung cancers usually too large & have metastasised upon discovery, so morality rates high.
- All/part of affected lung maybe
surgically removed, together with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, if lung cancer discovered early enough - Most patients who do have lung parts removed still have breathing difficulties, fatigue & anxiety about possible return of disease.
-
Causes:
-
Emphysema: Alveolar walls lose their elasticity due to damage to alveolar walls
-
Causes:
- Phagocytes exist within alveoli produce elastase, which digests protein in pathogens. Also breaks down elastic fibres in alveolar wall, so inhibitor needed to prevent this.
- Chemical irritants in cigarette smoke damage alveolar walls –> inc. no. of phagocytes in lungs –> produce more elastase –> breaks down more elastic fibres in alveolar wall.
- Small proportion of emphysema cases due to hereditary deficiency of enzyme inhibitor for elastase (breaks down elastic fibres in alveolar wall) due to gene mutation.
-
Consequences:
- Loss of elasticity results in abnormal enlargement of alveoli, leading to lower total SA for gas exchange
- Degradation of alveolar walls may cause holes to develop & alveoli to merge into huge air spaces
- Damage to alveoli irreversible, causing dec [O2] & inc [CO2] in blood
- Common symptoms of emphysema include shortness of breath, phlegm production, inc. susceptibility to chest infections, lack of energy.
-
Causes:
Measuring Change in Ventilation
Change in Ventilation
- Ventilation in humans changes in response to levels of physical activity, as body’s energy demands are increased
- ATP production (via cellular respiration) produces CO2 as waste product (& may consume oxygen aerobically).
- Changes in blood CO2 levels detected by chemosensors in arterial walls, which send signals to brain.
- As exercise intensity inc., so does demand for gas exchange, leading to inc. ventilation.
Exercise influences ventilation in 2 ways:
-
Tidal Volume: Volume of air drawn in and expelled, allowing for more gas exchange.
- Count no. of times air exhaled or inhaled per min, breathing should be maintained at natural rate, which is as slow as possible without getting out of breath.
- Inflatable chest belt placed around thorax; air pumped in with bladder; differential pressure sensor in belt measures pressure changes inside belt due to chest expansions –> rate.
-
Ventilation Rate: Number of times air is drawn in or expelled per minute, allowing for more continuous gas exchange
- 1 normal breath exhaled through delivery tube into pneumatic trough & vol. measured using bell jar with graduations. Unsafe for repeated inhaling/exhaling as [CO2] rises too high.
- Spirometers measure flow rate into & out of lungs & from these measurements, lung volumes can be deduced.
-
Variables:
- IV = Type/intensity of exercise or activity
- DV = Ventilation parameter (ventilation rate or tidal volume)
- Nervous system consists of neurons that carry electrical impulses and CNS. 3 neuron types:
- Sensory: Conduct nerve impulses from receptors to CNS.
- Relay: Conduct nerve impulse within CNS
- Motor: Conduct nerve impulses from CNS to effectors.
- All 3 contain:
- Dendrites: Short branched nerve fibres, used to transmit impulses between neurons or CNS.
- Axons: Elongated nerve fibres, used to transmit impulses usually to effectors/from receptors.
- Cell Body: Contains nucleus and other organelles needed for cell metabolism.
- Some neurons are myelinated:
-
Myelin Coat: Insulating fatty layer inc.
conduction speed of elec. impulses along axon via saltatory conduction. - Schwann Cells: Deposit myelin by growing round nerve fibre.
- Nodes of Ranvier: Gap between myelin deposited by adjacent Schwann Cells.
-
Saltatory Conduction: Nerve impulse jumps between nodes of Ranvier in myelinated fibre, rather than sequentially.
- Faster than unmyelinated fibres.
- But needs + space in enclosed env.
-
Myelin Coat: Insulating fatty layer inc.

Potentials
-
Resting Potential (RP): V across membrane of neuron not transmitting nerve impulse. = -70mV
- Antiport Na/K pumps transfer 3Na+ out of neuron & 2K+ in.
- Membrane also more permeable to K+ ions than Na+, so K+ leaks back across membrane faster than Na+
- Above factors create [grad.] for both ions, [Na+] grad. steeper than [K+] grad. →
unequal distribution of charge/ion on diff. sides of membrane → RP. - Additionally, proteins inside nerve fibre are — charged → inc. charge imbalance.
-
Action Potential (AP): Rapid change in membrane pot, occurs when neuron is firing.
Consist of 3 phases: -
Depolarisation: Rapid change in membrane pot. from — to +
- Na+ channels in axon membrane open due to local currents/signal initiated at dendrite
- Na+ diffuses into neuron (as conc. lower inside) until inside turns + relative to outside +30mV. Reverses imbalance.
-
Repolarisation: Rapid change in membrane pot. back from + to —.
- Na+ channels close & K+ channels open in membrane
- K+ ions diffuse out of neuron (as conc. lower outside) until membrane pot. fallen to —70mV.
- RP not restored yet as [gradients] of Na+ and K+ not re-established yet.
- Refractory Period: Period of time to restore [grad] after nerve impulse until neuron fired again. RP restored with antiport Na+/K+ pump.
Propagation of Impulse
- Depol. occurs when V-gated ion channels (so respond to changes in pot.) open & cause change in membrane pot.
- Thus, depol. at 1 axon part dec. [Na+] out axon & inc. [Na+] in axon → producing diff. [Na+] to neighbouring unpol. axon part → Na+ diffuses between regions (LC):
- Inside: Higher [Na+] in depol. part, so Na+ diffuse along inside axon to neighbouring part yet to be pol.
- Outside: Lower [Na+] in depol. part, so Na+ diffuse from pol. part back to depol. part.
- LC’s dec. [Na+] grad. in non-pol. part → pot. inc.
from RP to TP (-50mV) → opens V-gated Na+ channels in neighbouring axon part’s memb
→ depolarisation. - Hence, depolarisation spreads along length of axon as unidirectional ‘wave’ = propagated AP.
- Oscilloscopes: Sci instruments used to measure membrane pot. across axon membrane.
- Membrane potentials in neurons measured by placing electrodes on each side of membrane.
- Potentials displayed using oscilloscope or in graph (X = time (ms) and Y = membrane V (mV))
- Undershoot = refractory period.
- RP: Before AP occurs, neuron should be in state of rest (approx. –70 mV)
- Depol: Rising spike corresponds to depol. (approx. +30 mV)
- Repol: Falling spike corresponds to repol. (approx. –80 mV)
- Ref. period: Undershoot until membrane pot. back to RP (approx. –70 mV).

Synaptic Transmission
-
Synapses: Physical gaps that separate neurons from other neurons or effector cells.
- AP reaches axon terminal → triggers opening of V-gated Ca2+ channels.
- Ca2+ diffuse into PESN & promote vesicles (with NT) to move to, & fuse with cell memb.
- NT’s released from axon terminal by exocytosis, cross synaptic cleft & bind to specific POSM receptors
- POSM ligand-gated Na2+ channels open → Na+ diffuses ↓ [Na+] grad. into POSN, → POSM reaches TP.
- AP triggered in POSM & propagated along POSN.
- NT’s released into synapse either recycled (by reuptake pumps) or degraded (by enzymes).
-
Summation: Agregation of AP’s in POSN.
- Graded Potential: Change in membrane pot. caused by ligand-gated Na+ channels.
- Excitatory NT’s (e.g. noradrenaline): cause POSN depol. by opening Na2+ channels.
- Inhibitory NT’s (e.g. GABA): cause POSN hyperpol. by opening Cl¯ channels.
- Effect of all NT’s acting on target POSN
determines whether TP reached.
→ synapses tend to have many PESNs. -
3 types of summation:
-
Cancellation: Excitatory + inhibitory GP’s cancel out → TP not reached
→ Na+ in POSN pumped out by Na/K pumps → POSM returns to RP. - Spatial Summation: Excitatory GP’s generated from many PESN’s at same time to reach TP.
- Temporal Summation: Excitatory GP’s generated from single PESN in quick succession.
-
Cancellation: Excitatory + inhibitory GP’s cancel out → TP not reached
- Summation aids processing of info from different sources in body & helps in decision-making.
Acetylcholine
-
Acetylcholine: NT produced at neuromuscular junctions, binds to muscle fibre receptors, triggers muscle contraction. Usually released within ANS to promote parasympathetic responses.
- Created in PESN by combining choline (from diet) with an acetate group (metabolic product).
- Acetylcholine broken down into components by releasing synaptic enzyme AChE into synapse or embedding enzyme on POSM, as overstimulation can lead to fatal convulsions and paralysis.
- Once broken down, choline recycled & re-coupled with another acetate group.
- Neonicotinoids: Synthetic compounds that bind to ACh receptors in insect cholinergic synapses & trigger a sustained response.
- AChE can’t break down neonicotinoids →
irreversible binding → perm. overstimulation of target cells → convulsions + paralysis. - Neonicotinoid not as toxic to mammals as:
- Mammals use proportionally less cholinergic synapses than insects.
- Neonicotinoids bind less strongly to ACh receptors in mammals than in insects.
- Concern is that it may kill pollinators (e.g. bees and butterflies) and birds (due to loss of insects), so some countries (e.g. EU) have restricted use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
- Body needs glucose to make ATP (via cell resp.), but amount needed fluctuates according to demand
- High [glucose] in blood damages cells (creates hypertonicity), so [glucose] regulated by
hormones released from pancreatic pits (but
act mainly on liver). - Diabetes: Metabolic disorder caused by high blood [glucose] over prolonged period

Hypothalamus Hormones

Sexual Reproduction
- One of earliest theories as to how animals reproduce sexually was ‘soil and seed’ theory proposed by Aristotle:
- Male produces ‘seed’ that forms ‘egg’ when mixed with menstrual blood (‘soil’)
- ‘Egg’ develops into fetus inside mother according to info contained within male ‘seed’ alone.
- ‘Soil + seed’ popular until debunked by William Harvey, who studied sexual organs of ♀ deer after mating to identify developing embryo.
- William Harvey shot deer at diff. stages of mating season & dissecting each deer to investigate sexual organs (e.g. uterus).
- Unable to detect growing embryo until months after mating had occurred, rather than spontaneously after mating).
- He concluded that Aristotle’s theory was incorrect & that menstrual blood didn’t contribute to fetal dev.
- Harvey unable to identify correct mechanism of sex. reproduction & incorrectly asserted that fetus didn’t develop from mix of male & female ‘seeds’.
- Now known that fetus forms from combo of both ♂ + ♀ ‘seeds’ (gametes).
Sex Development
- Humans have 46 chromosomes in all diploid somatic cells:
- 22 autosomal pairs
- 23rd pair are sex chromosomes (X or Y)
- ♀ possess 2 copies of X, while ♂ possess 1 X & shorter Y chromosome.
- Y contains gene (SRY), which codes for testis-determining factor (TDF), which causes embryonic gonads to form into testes.
- Without TDF protein/Y, embryonic gonads dev. into ovaries.
- ♂ & ♀ gametes produce diff. hormones to promote further dev. of sex characteristics:
- Testes produce test. to promote further dev. of male sex traits.
- Ovaries produce estrogen & prog. to promote dev. of female sex traits.
-
Testosterone: Main ♂ reproductive hormone secreted by testes:
- Responsible for pre-natal ♂ gonad dev.
- Involved in sperm prod. following onset of puberty
- Aids in dev. of 2º sex traits (e.g. body hair, muscle mass, deepening of voice, etc.)
- Helps maintain ♂ sex drive (libido)
-
Oest + Prog: Main ♀ reproductive hormones secreted initially secreted by mom’s ovaries,
then placenta until ♀ reprod. organs (e.g. ovaries) dev. (in absence of test.).- Promote pre-natal dev. of ♀ reprod.
organs. - Aids in dev. of 2º sex traits (e.g. body hair, hip widening, breast dev.).
- Involved in monthly prep. of egg release after puberty (via menstrual cycle)
- Promote pre-natal dev. of ♀ reprod.
Male Reprod. System

- ♂RS: Organs responsible for spermatogenesis + organs involved in semen synth. (used to transport sperm during copulation).
Structures
- Structures are organised according to the path taken by sperm (from production to release)
- Testes: responsible for spermatogenesis (♂ gamete) & test. prod. (♂ sex hormone)
-
Epididymis: Site where sperm matures & devs
motility – mature sperm stored here until ejac - Vas Deferens: Long tube that conducts sperm from testes to prostate (connects to urethra) during ejac.
- Seminal Vesicle: Secretes fluid with fructose (to nourish sperm) & mucus (to protect sperm)
- Prostate Gland: Secretes alkaline fluid to neutralise vaginal acids (or else they die).
- Urethra: Conducts sperm/semen from prostate + urine to outside of body via penis.

Female Reprod. System

- ♀RS: Includes organs responsible for oogenesis (female gamete) + organs involved in initially dev. & maintaining embryo during early preg. stages.
- Structures organised according to path taken by egg (from production to implantation or elimination)
-
Ovary: Where oocytes mature prior to release (ovulation) – it also responsible for oest. + prog
secretion. - Fimbria (plural: fimbriae): Fringe of tissue adj. to ovary that sweep oocyte into oviduct
- Oviduct: Transports oocyte to uterus – also typical fertilisation site.
- Uterus: Organ where fertilised egg will implant & develop (to become an embryo)
7. **Endometrium:** Mucous membrane lining of uterus - thickens in prep. for implantation or otherwise lost (via menstruation)
- Vagina: Passage leading to uterus by which penis can enter (uterus protected by muscular opening (cervix)).

- Menstrual cycle: Recurring changes that occur within ♀RS to make pregnancy possible.
- Each cycle lasts roughly 1 month & begins at puberty, before ending with menopause
- 2 key hormone groups that control &
coordinate menstrual cycle:- Pituitary hormones (FSH + LH): Released from anterior pituitary gland & act on ovaries to develop follicles.
- Ovarian hormones (Oest + Prog): Made by ovaries & act on uterus to prepare for preg.
Menstrual Cycle Events:
- FSH secreted from ant. pit. & stim. follicle dev.
- Follicle: Single egg with surrounding cells that nourish & protect it. Secretes oestrogen.
- Oest. secreted inhibits FSH secretion (– feedback) to prevent other follicles growing.
- Oest. stim. endometrium thickening & ant. pit. gland to secrete LH (& some FSH) (+ feedback).
- Large LH surge → rupturing of follicle → 2º oocyte within follicle released (ovulation).
- Ruptured follicle dev into slowly degen. corpus luteum, which secretes prog (+ oest), which stim. endo. thicken. for pot. embryo implant.
- Both prog. & oest. inhibit LH/FSH secretion, which prevents any follicles from developing.
- If fert. occurs, zygote/developing embryo will implant in endometrium & release hCG to maintain corpus luteum.
- If fertilisation doesn’t occur, corpus luteum eventually degens → [oest + prog] ↓ and
endometrium can’t be maintained anymore.- Endometrium shed from body as menstrual blood (i.e. period)
- ↓[prog + oest] can’t inhibit ant. pit anymore → FSH secreted again (cycle restarts).
IVF (SHE’S FIT)
- Stop normal menstrual cycle (with drugs delivered in form of nasal spray) by down regulating FSH + LH secretion → oest + prog.
-
Hormone (FSH) injection → many follicles dev
→ follicles then treated with hCG to stim. maturation → superovulation. - Extract multiple eggs from ovaries
- Sperm collected from sperm donor, then prepared (via capacitation).
- Fertilisation (external) of eggs + sperm, which are incubated to control conditions, then eggs analysed for successful fertilisation).
-
Implantation of multiple healthy embryos into uterus (either patient or surrogate) following
PRO treat. to develop endometrium. - Test for pregnancy after some weeks passed.
Small Pox
- Smallpox was 1st human infectious disease to have been eradicated via vaccination.
- Smallpox targeted for eradication by WHO, via global vaccination programme
- Eradication of smallpox by vaccination was successful because:
- Smallpox easily ID’d due to overt clinical symptoms → limited pot. transmission.
- Transmission only occurred via direct contact + no animal vectors to sustain
infectious agent. - Short lived infection period & virus was stable → didn’t mutate into alt. strains.
- Global cooperation & immunity was long-term so repeated booster shots unnec.
Elbow Joint
Muscles:
- Biceps: Bends arm (flexor)
- Triceps: Straightens arm (extensor)
Bones:
- Humerus: Anchors muscle.
- Radius: Transmits forces from biceps through forearm.
- Ulna: Transmits forces from triceps through forearm.
Rest:
-
Cartilage: Layer of smooth & tough tissue that covers ends of bones where they meet, to ↓
friction, also absorbs shock & distributes load. - Ligament: Hold humerus, ulna & radius in proper alignment.
-
Synovial Fluid: Provides food, O2 & lubrication
to cartilage & ↓ friction. - Joint Capsule: Seals joint space & provides passive stability by limiting range of movement
Sarcomere Structure

Muscle Contraction
- Sliding of myosin filaments & actin filaments cause sarcomere contractions, which in turn cause muscle contractions.
- Motor neuron sends AP along sarcolemma, which releases acetylcholine, which allows AP to pass to sarcoplasmic reticulum → Ca2+ released upon stimulation.
- Ca2+ binds to troponin; causing troponin + tropomyosin to move, which exposes myosin binding sites on actin molecules;
- Myosin heads bind to actin, forming cross-bridges.
- ATP then binds to myosin heads → cross-bridges break & myosin head released.
- ATP hydrolysed into ADP + Pi at each cross-bridge → myosin heads bend; → actin pulled towards centre of sarcomere; → sarcomere shortens;
- Cycle of events repeated during muscle contraction, then Ca2+ reabsorbed & muscle relaxes.
Osmoregulators and Osmoconformers
- Osmoregulators: Animals that maintain constant int. [solute] even if their env. has diff. conditions.
E.g. Terrestial animals
- Osmoconformers: Animals whose int. [solute] is about same same as the environment’s.
E.g. Jellyfish
Malpighian Tubules
- In animals, excess AA broken down to N-waste, which must be excreted. Insects excrete uric acid.
- Insect’s body cavity filled with fluid
(hemolymph) . - [Solute] maintained by branches from posterior region of hindgut (Malpighian Tubules).
- Substances absorbed into tubules in hemolymph:
- Na+ + K+ absorbed by AT.
- Urea + AA’s absorbed by diffusion.
- H2O absorbed by osmosis.
- Tubules empty into hindgut, where some ions actively reabsorbed, & some water follows.
- Dehydrated uric acid paste excreted with faeces in a semi-solid form.
Draw Kidney + Annotate Nephron
Bowman’s Capsule: Cup-shaped structure with highly porous inner wall, which collects fluid filtered from blood.
PCT: Highly twisted section of nephron, with cells in wall having many mitochondria and microvilli projecting into tubule lumen.
Loop of Henlé: Consists of descending limb carrying filtrate deep into medulla of kidney and ascending limb that brings it back out to cortex.
DCT: Another highly twisted section, but with fewer, shorter microvilli and fewer mitochondria.
Collecting Duct: Wider tube carrying filtrate back through cortex and medulla to renal pelvis.
Blood Vessels (in order of where blood flows first):
- Afferent Arteriole: Brings blood from renal artery to kidneys
- Glomerulus: Tight, knot-like, high-pressure capillary bed - site of filtration.
- Efferent Arteriole: Narrow vessel restricting blood flow, helping to generate high pressure in glomerulus.
- Peritubular Capillaries: Low-pressure capillary bed that runs around convoluted tubules, absorbing fluid from them.
- Vasa Recta: Unbranched capillaries similarly shaped like loop of Henlé, with descending limb carrying blood deep into medulla and ascending limb bringing it back to cortex.
- Venules: Carry blood to renal vein.

Bowman’s Capsule
- Blood is at high press. in capillaries, as efferent & afferent arteries are at diff diameters.
- Plasma forced out of capillaries into Bowman’s Capsule.
- Ultrafiltration occurs through fenestrations in capillaries. Only fluid passes through basement membrane. Almost all large proteins remain in blood. Podocytes support capillaries.
4.
Osmoregulation
PCT (Selective Reabsorption):
- Na+ moves by AT → Cl¯ to be absorbed (as it is attracted to Na+).
- Co-transporter proteins move glucose using energy released by AT of Na+.
- Movement of glucose → ↑ [solute] gradient inside tubule → H2O enters by osmosis.
- By the end of tubule, all glucose + AA’s & most of H2O reabsorbed.
- PCT cells have many mitochondria to provide NRG for AT.
Loop of Henlé: U-shaped section of tubule that:
- ↑[solute] in medulla by releasing Na+ into medulla from asc. limb→conc. urine prod.
- Helps maintain correct H2O balance in body by drawing H2O from filtrate in loop.
- Na+ pumped out of filtrate to interstitial fluid by AT using protein pumps in asc. wall cells.
- Desc. limb wall cells H2O-permeable, but Na+-imperm, so H2O drawn out of filtrate as interstitial fluid [solute] ↑ going ↓ desc. limb.
- Asc. limb wall cells H2O-imperm, but Na+-perm, so H2O retained in filtrate, whilst Na+ diffuses into interstitial fluid.
- Counter current mechanism ensures [Na+] is greatest at lowest part of loop → H2O drawn out of descending limb along its entire length.
Collecting Duct:
- ADH secreted by pituitary gland in response to stimuli from hypothalamus.
- Hypotonic filtrate enters DCT, due to [solute] >
[H2O] passed out of filtrate as it flows through loop of Henlé in medulla. - Blood [solute] too low, hypothalamus detects this → pit. gland secrete ↓ ADH, → ↓ DCT + collecting tube permeability → ↓ H2O
reabsorbed → high vol. of dilute urine prod.
→ blood [solute] ↑ - Blood [solute] too high, hypothalamus detects
this → pit. gland secrete ↑ ADH → ↑ DCT + collecting tube permeability → ↑ H2O
reabsorbed → low vol. of conc. urine prod.
→ blood [solute] ↑ - Animals in dry env. have long loops → ↑ medulla → ↑ H2O reabs. & short in humid env.
Types of N-waste

Kidney Problems + Treatments
-
Haemodialysis:
- Blood from patient’s arm passed through machine, inside dialysis tubing.
- Tubing surrounded by dialysis fluid with measured [Na+ + glucose + H2O]
- Urea + excess salts diffuse through dialysis tube into fluid
→ excess H2O leaves blood by osmosis - Blood returned to patient’s vein, after its temp checked & gas bubbles removed.
- Dialysis fluid renewed regularly to ensure correct conc. of substances present in it.

Urinalysis
- Urinalysis: Clinical procedure that examines urine for any deviation from normal composition.
- Urine produced by osmoregulation, excretion & metabolism, which may be affected by illness or drug abuse.
- Urine test strip contains 3 test areas designed to change colour to indicate + or – result after being dipped in urine, which is compared to results chart on testing kit.

Spermatogenesis + Oogenesis
Spermatogenesis: Sperm production, occurs in seminiferous tubules.
- Germinal epithelium cells divide by mitosis to produce more diploid cells.
- Diploid cells grow larger to form 1º spermatocytes.
- FSH (from PG) stim. 1º spermatocytes to divide by meiosis I → 2 2º spermatocytes (each)
- LH (from PG) stim. interstitial cells to prod. test. which stim. 2º spermatocytes to divide by meiosis II → 4 haploid spermatids (each).
- Test. from interstitial cells & nourishment from Sertoli cells associated to spermatids stim.
differentiation of spermatids into spermatozoa by:- Developing tail
- Creating midsection with mitochondria
- Reducing their cytoplasm (↓ weight)
- Sperm stored & motility (ability to swim) developed in epididymis, then detach from Sertoli cells & pass along lumen of
seminiferous tubule;
Oogenesis: Ova production, begins in fetus ovaries.
- Germinal epithelium cells divide by mitosis to produce more diploid cells.
- Diploid cells grow & undergo meiosis I to produce 1º oocytes, surrounded by follicle cells (1º follicle).
- 1º follicle dev. arrested until puberty, where FSH is produced, which stim. follicle Meiosis I.
- Meiosis I produces 1 large (2º oocyte) + 1 small (polar body) haploid cell.
- Meiosis II then arrested until ovulation, where
the 2º oocyte is released into the oviduct. - At fertilisation, 2º oocyte completes meiosis II to become mature ovum & expels polar body.

Fertilisation, Pregnancy, Parturition
- 2º oocyte releases chem. signals, which attract sperm to it – generally meet in fallopian tube.
- Sperm passes through follicle until it reaches zona pellucida (to which it binds to).
- Acrosome reaction: Acrosome vesicle fuses with zona pellucida & releases digestive enzymes, which digest through zona pellucida.
- Membs of sperm & oocyte fuse (fert.) & sperm nucleus enters egg → stim. cortical reaction.
- Fertilisation stimulates release of Ca2+ in egg, which stimulates meiosis II.
-
Cortical Reaction: Cortical granules fuse with oocyte membrane, releasing contents (enzymes → zona pellucida hardening)
→ prevents polyspermy. - Once oocyte nucleus undergoes meiosis II, prod. ovuum + polar body (which is expelled)
- Ovuum nucleus fuses with sperm nuclei to form zygote.
- Zygote moves down oviduct & divides by mitosis until it forms blastocyst, which sinks into uterus endometrium (implantation).
- Blastocyst secretes hCG, which stim. corpus luteum in ovary to keep secreting PR + OES, which stim. continued dev. of endometrium to supply blastocyst until it becomes an embryo.
- Continues until placenta made, which prod. PR + OES; so corpus luteum breaks down. Amniotic sac containing fluid now surrounds embryo.
- Shock absorber
- Allows skeleton to develop without added strain of gravity
- Prevents tissue dehydration,
- Effective barrier to infection.
-
Placenta:
-
Structure:
- Made of maternal and fetal tissue; embedded in endometrium;
- Maternal blood flows in intervillous spaces, foetal blood flows in capillaries in placental villi.
- Chorionic villi ↑ SA for exchange of mom & fetal blood;
-
Function:
- Placenta produces hCG to maintain corpus luteum; which keeps [PR + OES] high to maintain pregnancy;
- Site of exchange of: (table)
- Connected to fetus via umbilical cord; which prevents mom & fetal blood mixing; & prevents damage from high press. in maternal arteries;
-
Structure:
- High [PR] due to placenta inhibit oxytocin secretions by PG & myometrium contactions.
- At end of preg, foetus signals placenta to stop secreting PR & engages its head in cervix.
- [PR]↓ → oxytocin secreted, which stim.
endometrium fibre contractions. - Stretching (pressure changes) detected by receptors → stim. PG to secrete + oxytocin
→ stims + & stronger myometrium contractions (+ feedback). - Cervix muscle fibres relax in response to myometrium contractions → dilation.
- Myometrium contractions → amniotic sac bursts → amniotic fluid flows out
- Child born through vagina when cervix is correct size.
- Contractions continue after birth & placenta ejected.
- Breastfeeding encourages oxytocin prod, in turn encouraging bonding with newborn baby. - Also has antibodies.

Aerobic Respiration
Glycolysis:
- Occurs in cytoplasm of cell; regardless of aerobic or anaerobic conditions
- Hexose undergoes phosphorylation; to form hexose diphosphate; using 2 ATP (which form 2ADP + 2Pi);
- Hexose biphosphate lyses to form 2 Triose Phosphate (TP) molecules.
- TP oxidised, so releases 2 hydrogen atoms, which reduces 2NAD+ to form 2NADH + H+;
- Hexose diphosphate converted into 2 pyruvates;
- Net gain of 2 ATP (per glucose);
- Following reactions occur in mitochondria only under aerobic conditions.
Link Reaction:
- Pyruvates move into mitochondria
- Pyruvate decarboxylated & oxidised (oxidative decarboxylation)
- Decarboxylation removes CO2 from Pyruvate to form an Acetyl group.
- Oxidation removes H from Pyruvate, which reduces NAD+ into NADH + H+
- Acetyl group reacts with Coenzyme A to form Acetyl CoA; which enters Krebs cycle;
Kreb’s Cycle + ETC:
- Acetyl CoA from Link Reaction releases an acetyl group.
- Acetyl joins to 4-C molecule to form 6-C molecule
- 6-C undergoes oxidation + decarboxylation (oxidative decarboxylation) to form 5-C molecule; which is converted to 4-C molecule by oxidative decarboxylation;
- Oxidation releases H, which is accepted by NAD+ (reducing it) to form NADH + H+
- Decarboxylation releases 1 CO2 molecule per reaction.
- 4-C molecule converted back into original 4-C molecule & cycle repeats;
- 1 ATP molecule made during this step (per pyruvate) by combining ADP + P (substrate lvl phosphorylation);
- 3NADH + H+ + 1FADH2 & 2CO2 are end-products of Krebs cycle; of which:
- NADH + H+ & FADH2 carry e¯ to ETC on inner mitochondrial membrane (cristae);
- CO2 is removed from cell.
- As e¯ passed between carriers in ETC, H+ move (against their conc. gradient) into & accumulate in intermemb space; creating H+ grad across membrane;
- ATP synthesised by flow of H+ back across membrane (chemiosmosis) through ATP synthase; to matrix.
- O2 reduced by ETC (added H+) to prod. H2O; which carries e¯ along ETC & allows NAD+ to be regenerated; which allows more ATP prod
(hence ↑ yield).
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic
Anaerobic respiration:
- Glucose converted into 2 pyruvate molecules;
- Glucose loses hydrogen (oxidation), which reduces NAD+ into NADH;
- Less ATP yield than in aerobic respiration;
- Pyruvate converted to CO2 + CH3COOH in yeast (fermentation);
- Pyruvate converted to Lactic acid in humans;
Aerobic respiration:
- Pyruvate fully oxidised; by Link reaction + Krebs cycle;
- NADH passes e¯ to ETC;
- H+ gradient generated (chemiosmosis); which is used by ATP synthase to produce ATP;
- O2 needed as terminal e¯ acceptor; forms H2O

Mitochondria
Small size ↑ SA:Vol ratio:
- Space for ETC (+ other processes)
- Large SA:Vol allows rapid uptake and release of materials.
Matrix:
- Contains enzymes of Krebs cycle (making process faster).
- Contains 70S ribosomes to synth. proteins, so some proteins don’t need to be imported.
Inner membrane:
- Forms dynamic cristae to ↑ SA
- Contains ETC, as well as ATP synthase that make lots of ATP.
Narrow intermembrane space: Allows for short diffusion distance for H+ ions in ETC:
- [H+] gradient rapidly established
- Chemiosmosis therefore more efficient.
Electron tomography: Extension of TEM used to produce images of active mitochondria.
- e¯ beam passed at diff angles through sample.
- Info collected & used to assemble 3-D image of the target (e.g. mitochondria).
- Used to determine that cristae are dynamic, which further inc. SA for reactions + ETC.
- Cristae may also split off & form vesicles & re-form elsewhere (presumably where + active).
