SB7: animal coordination, control and homeostasis Flashcards
hormone
a chemical messenger that travels around the body through blood to make a change
what happens when a hormone has been used?
it is destroyed by the liver
endocrine vs nervous svstem
-electrical (n), chemical (e)
-neurones (n), bloodstream (e)
-muscle contraction (n), chemical change (e)
-very rapid response (n), slow response (e)
short till response nerve impulses stop (n), long response till hormone is broken down (e)
pituitary gland
-at the base of the brain
-target organ = kidney (ADH)
-controls the water content of the blood
how can the pituitary gland increase thyroxine?
- the pituitary gland detects low levels of thyroxine
- hypothalamus releases TRH
- this causes the pituitary gland to release TSH which gets the levels back to normal
what do normal thyroxine levels do?
-inhibit TRH release from the hypothalamus and the production of TSH by the pituitary
-normal blood levels are maintained
why is the pituitary gland called the master gland?
-produces many different hormones, some of these give instructions to the body & others make other glands release hormones
adrenal glands
-on top of both kidneys
-produce adrenaline
-prepare you for fight and flight
thyroid gland
-releases thyroxine
-regulates rate of metabolism
-important role in growth and development
underactive thyroid
-thyroid gland produces thyroxine which helps regulate metabolic rate
-low levels of thyroxine stimulate the production of TRH
-TSH is then released which leads to thyroxine being released
-an under active thyroid wouldn’t produce enough thyroxine
-metabolic rate would drop & less calories would be available for tasks
-more fat would be stored for energy, body mass increases
pancreas
-produces insulin
-controls blood glucose levels
male glands
-testes (testosterone - controls puberty & produces sperm)
female glands
-ovaries (oestrogen- influences puberty & the menstrual cycle)
-hold egg cells
homeostasis
the maintenance of constant internal conditions in an organism
negative feedback system
- conditions in the body change from set point
- change detected
- corrective mechanisms activated
- conditions returned to set point
- corrective mechanisms switched off
how does the hypothalamus control body temperature? (simple)
-if your body gets too hot, your body begins to sweat, which reduces body temperature
-if the body gets too cold, your body begins to shiver to raise body temperature
thyroxine
-produced from the thyroid gland, which stimulates the metabolic rate
-controls the speed at which oxygen and food products react to release energy for the body to use
how are thyroxine levels controlled? (negative feedback)
- low thyroxine levels in the bloodstream stimulate the hypothalamus to release TRH and this causes the pituitary to release TSH so the thyroid releases more thyroxine -> blood levels return to normal
- normal thyroxine levels in the bloodstream inhibit TRH release from the hypothalamus and the production of TSH by the pituitary, so normal blood levels are maintained
is adrenaline controlled by negative feedback?
no
when is adrenaline released?
in times of fear or stress
what are the effects of adrenaline in the bloodstream?
- increases breathing rate, heart rate (therefore blood flow) and blood pressure
- increased conversion of glycogen to glucose in liver cells, increasing blood glucose
this means the body has more energy being released by respiration & more glucose getting to the muscles
puberty
period of sexual maturation:
facial hair = men
breasts = women
regulating blood glucose
- glucose is absorbed from the small intestine after the digestion of food
- blood glucose concentration rises
- pancreas responds to high blood glucose by releasing insulin
- insulin causes cells in the liver to take in glucose
- insulin causes liver, muscle & other cells to take up glucose & change it to glycogen to storage
- blood glucose concentration falls to another level
diabetes
blood glucose levels can’t properly be controlled by the body
type 1 diabetes
-the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin
-characterised by high blood glucose levels
how can blood sugar levels be controlled in people with type 1 diabetes?
-being careful with their diet: eating foods that won’t cause large increases in blood sugar level
-exercising: which can lower blood glucose levels due to increased respiration in the muscles
-injecting insulin
type 2 diabetes (solutions)
-the person’s body cells no longer respond to insulin produced by the pancreas
-more common in older people
-controlled by a carbohydrate controlled diet and an exercise regime
-carbohydrate is digested into glucose, which raises the overall blood glucose level
what has a correlation to type 2 diabetes?
rising body mass levels in the population
BMI formula
weight (kg) / height^2 (m^2)
who has increased risk of type 2 diabetes?
-overweight (BMI = 25-30) and obese
people (BMI =30+)
-people with more weight around their waist are at more likely to develop certain illnesses than people who have more weight around their hips
(waist:hip ratio of over 0.85 in women & over 1 in men indicates obesity)
waist:hip ratio
waist measurement / hip measurement
how to increase blood glucose levels (negative feedback)
-if the blood glucose level is too low, the pancreas releases the hormone glucagon
-this travels to the liver through the blood and causes the break-down of glycogen into glucose
-the glucose enters the blood stream and glucose levels increase back to normal
menstrual cycle
the lining of the uterus is prepared for pregnancy, if implantation of the fertilised egg into the uterus lining does not happen, the lining is then shed (28 days)