plant hormones, reflex arcs, thermoregulation Flashcards
Hypothalamus
controls body temp
CNS
Central Nervous System = the spinal cord and brain
PNS
Peripheral Nervous System = the collection of neurons connected to the CNS
Order of human nervous system
stimulus - cooking food receptor - nose CNS effector - salivary glands response - produce saliva
Neurotransmitter
A chemical that passes messages around the brain from neuron to neuron
thermoregulation
how our body controls our temperature
how is our body temperature detected
receptors in our hypothalamus detect it
ectotherms
amphibians, frogs, lizards etc
= cold blooded, gain heat from their surroundings
endotherms
humans, mammals etc
- warm blooded
- gain heat metabolically
Steps in which the body controls its temperature
1- receptors in skin detect external temperature
2- information sent to hypothalamus
3- instructions sent to brain
4- effectors in skin increase or decrease vasodilation
5- blood flow to the skin’s surfaces increases or decreases
6- the temperature of body returns to the correct level
keeping warm (4)
- body temp drops, impulses sent from thermoregulatory system to body to prevent cooling down, reducing energy transferred to surroundings
capillaries in skin = become narrower = restricts blood flow (vasoconstriction)
sweat glands = stop working =reduces evaporation = less energy to environment
skeletal muscles contract and relax rapidly = shivering= raises body temp
hair pulled erect to rap insulating layer of air
cooling down (3)
- body temp rises, impulses sent from thermoregulatory system to body so more energy is transferred to surroundings
vasodilation (capillaries wider, increase blood flow/skin flushes) = cools you down/warms surroundings
sweat from sweat glands in skin = evaporation of water from skin cools you down = so in humid conditions harder to cool down as less evaporation
hair lies flat so insulating layer of air is not trapped
heat exhaustion vs heat stroke
exhaustion - dehydration, sweating, headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle cramp
stroke - stop sweating, body reaches 40 c, enzymes denature, organ failure, death
why do reflex reactions happen
as a result of electrical impulses following a specific path (reflex arc)
= keep us away from danger, unconscious decision
Reflex Arc
1) a stimulus detected by receptors
2) electrical impulses from receptor passes along a sensory neuron to central nervous system (the co-ordinator e.g spinal cord )
3) when impulse from sensory neurone arrives at a synapse with a relay neurone, a chemical is released diffusing across the synapse
4) this sets off an electrical impulse travelling across the relay neurone
5) impulse reaches synapse between relay and motor neurone and another chemical is released and diffuses to the motor neurone, starting a new electrical impulse travelling down motor neurone to effector
5) stimulates response of effector eg a muscle - responds by contracting, gland - responds by releasing chemical substances