Physiology: Lecture 1 Flashcards
Study of normal function of the body and how the body maintains those normal functions
Physiology
Inputs change and produce error but outputs remain normal; requires input of energy
Homeostasis - steady state
How we sense and react to input changes
Feedback control
Output reduces initial error (reduces input)
System is generally good
Negative feedback
Output is the same as the initial change (leads to an EVENT)
System is generally bad
Positive feedback
Examples of positive feedback
Ovulation
Clot formation
What do feedback mechanisms regulate?
Health
What happens when errors exceed the ability of the control system to adjust?
Disease and pathology occur; body will attempt to compensate for any deviation from set point
(Ex: drinking more and more and more water where your body can’t get rid of it all anymore and it begins diluting your blood and everything else, causing many problems)
When is compensation never complete?
As long as the error signal still exists
What is the bodies best response?
Full compensation (normal function may not be restored)
What happens to compensatory mechanisms as time progresses?
They break down or initiate changes that lead to pathology and disease
Normal serum potassium levels
Roughly 4 mEq/L
Pathological range of normal serum potassium
3.5-5.0 mEq/L
Pathological potassium levels (death)
Less than 2.5 mEq/L
Greater than 5 mEq/L
What can cause pathological potassium?
- Progressive change in electrical activity (heart)
- As little as 1 mEq/L change can lead to death
Pt presents with macular edema; they are overweight, drink a lot of soda, and has diabetes. What’s the outcome?
Pt needs to get diabetes under control or he’ll lose his eyesight. This re establishes his normal homeostasis physiology and everything else gets better.
Q: What type of feedback is this?
A –> B –> C -x-> A
Negative feedback
Because output feeds back on A to stop release
Q: Pt presents with abnormally high levels of B and C, but low levels of A. What is the likely defect?
A –> B –> C-x-> A
Tumor secretion of B
Cut tumor out to come back to homeostasis
Water is about how much of body weight?
60%
Avg = 50% to 70%
Variations of water per body weight?
Age
Race
Gender (male’s have more, typically)
Fitness level
Average percent of water per body weight in males: Adult? Elderly?
Adult: 70% BW
Elderly: 50% BW
Average percent of water per body weight in females: Adult? Elderly?
Adult: 50% BW
Elderly: 45% BW
What is water weight inversely correlated with?
Body fat
What is the ratio of intracellular fluid (ICF) to total body water (TBW)?
IDF is 2/3 of TBW (27L)
What is intracellular fluid?
- Fluid inside ALL the cells of the body
- Maintained by the cell membrane
- Allows all salutes to be dissolved in the same medium (allows metabolic reactions to occur)
What is the ratio of extracellular fluid (ECF) to total body water (TBW)?
ECF is 1/3 of TBW (13L)
What is extracellular fluid?
- Fluid OUTSIDE of cells
- Split into 2 compartments by the capillary wall (Interstitial fluid and Plasma)
What are the 2 compartments of extracellular fluid that are split by the capillary wall? How much of the ECF do they account for?
1) Interstitial fluid - fluid around cells - 3/4 of ECF (10L)
2) Plasma - fluid portion of blood - 1/4 of ECF (3L)
What is the difference between ECF and ICF?
- They are different in composition
- -ICF is MOSTLY potassium and proteins
- -ECF is MOSTLY sodium and chloride
What are the similarities between ECF and ICF?
They are balanced in charge and amount of dissolved stuff (isotonic and electroneutroal=no charge differential)
Number of whole molecules in water
mM (1 mM NaCl = 1 mmol of NaCl in 1L of water)
Number of ions in water; When is it important?
mOsm (1 mM NaCl = 1 mOsm of Na and 1 mOsm of Cl = 2 total mOsm)
- Imp when considering concentration gradients
- If non-dissociable (glucose) then mMol = mOsm
Charge of dissociated ions; When is it important?
mEq (1 mOsm of Na = 1 mEq of Na, 1 mOsm of Ca2 = 2 mEq of Ca2)
-Imp when considering electrochemical gradients
Logarithmic scale used to measure H (ACID) ions
pH (pH = -log[H])
What is the basis for communication between ICF and ECF dependent on?
K (potassium) gradient