Systems of the Body - Muscular, Endocrine, Circulatory, and Digestive Flashcards
What are the main purposes of the muscular system?
- Stabilize
- Maintain Posture
- Produce movement
- Move substances within the body
- Produce heat
What are the four characteristics of muscle tissue?
excitability, contractility, elasticity, and extensibility
What are the three types of muscle tissue?
smooth, skeletal, and cardiac
Name the proteins that attach to each other to produce the start of muscle contraction.
myosin and actin
Myosin and actin are contained in the ______________
sarcomere - the smallest unit of the muscle
A bundle of sarcomeres is a ______________________
myofibril
A bundle of myofibrils is a ____________________
muscle fiber
A bundle of muscle fibers is a ______________________
fascicle
A bundle of fascicles is a _____________________
skeletal muscle
What form of energy powers muscle contract?
ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
Describe what happens during a muscle contraction.
The nervous system sends an action potential to the motor unit; the motor unit triggers the myosin and actin to latch onto each other, which ripples all the way up from sarcomere to fascicle. If the stimulus is strong enough, it triggers more motor units, which contract more of the total muscle.
Which form of muscle contraction leads to movement?
Isotonic
Which form of muscle contraction causes no movement?
isometric
What’s the difference between an origin and an insertion of a muscle?
the origin doesn’t move; the insertion point does.
What’s is the agonist of a movement?
the muscle that does the work
What is the antagonist of a movement?
the muscle that opposes the agonist
What are synergists?
Muscles that help the agonist
Where are the hamstrings located?
posterior of the upper leg, opposite the quadriceps
Where are the pectoralis major located?
the chest
Where are the biceps and triceps located?
the upper arm
Where are the latissismus dorsi located?
the back
What are the deltoids?
The shoulder muscles
What is the gastronemius?
the calf muscle
What is the endocrine system?
the organs and glands that produce hormones and essential materials to regulate homeostasis
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of internal conditions that keep the organism alive (things like body temperature, heartbeat, breathing, etc)
What is the type of gland that produces material on the outside/surface of the body?
exocrine glands (like sweat, saliva, and oil glands)
Where do endocrine glands operate?
within the body
What type of feedback loop is more common and tells the body to slow down or stop production of a hormone?
negative feedback loop
What makes a steroid hormone different from a non-steroid hormone?
Steroids are fat-soluble so they can pass through hydrophobic cell membranes without help. Non steroid hormones are water-soluble so they need help passing through the hydrophobic cell membrane
What do steroid hormones do?
They tell the DNA to order the cell to perform specific functions
What do non-steroid hormones do?
They alter cell metabolism and activity
What does the pancreas regulate?
insulin and glucagon; manages blood sugar levels
What does the pituitary regulate?
HGH and 7 others; relays instructions to other glands
What do the adrenals produce?
epinephrine and norepinephrine; control the body’s stress response.
What does the thyroid affect?
cellular and body metabolism
What does the parathyroid affect?
calcium absorption by the bones and blood
What hormones do the testes and ovaries primarily produce?
Ovaries produce estrogen
Testes produce testosterone
What does the pineal gland control?
melatonin production; regulates our circadian rhythm (our day/night cycle)
What are the functions of the circulatory system?
to deliver important nutrients around the body, to remove waste products from cells, to transport disease fighting cells
What are the three main parts of the circulatory system?
blood, the heart, and blood vessels
What are the four types of blood cells?
red, white, platlets, and plasma
What is the quality of blood pumped through the right side of the heart?
It is deoxygenated.
Where does deoxygenated blood get pumped to?
the lungs
Which type of blood vessel carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart and throughout the body?
arteries
Which type of blood vessel has cell walls that are only 1 cell thick for easy gas exchange?
capillaries
What are the two loops of the circulatory system called?
the pulmonary loop - brings blood from the heart to the lungs and back.
The systemic loop - brings blood from the heart to the rest of the body and back
What are the purposes of the digestive system?
to break down food into smaller nutrients, to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, and to expel waste
What are the “big three” nutrients?
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
What do carbs, fats, and proteins get broken into during digestion?
carbs=sugars, fats=fatty acids, proteins=amino acids
What are the two types of digestion?
mechanical and chemical
The main instrument of mechanical digestion in the mouth are the ___________
teeth
Which type of digestion is stomach acid responsible for?
chemical
Which one prevents food from “going down the wrong pipe”: the esophagus or the epiglottis?
the epiglottis
Where does digested food travel to from the stomach in its liquid form?
the small intestine
Which one absorbs nutrients: the small or large intestine?
the small intestine
What does the rectum do?
compacts undigested food waste from the large intestine and expels it through the anus
What is peristalsis?
the rippling contraction of the smooth muscle that makes up the esophagus, stomach, and intestines to push things through or break them apart.
What is the purpose of the respiratory system?
To take oxygen into the bloodstream and expel carbon dioxide
What is the process of breathing called scientifically?
ventilation
Inhalation and exhalation cause a change in chest _______
volume; the ribcage and diaphragm move to provide or remove space for incoming air
Which structure of the lungs is responsible for gas exchange?
alveoli
Which two gases are swapped in the alveoli?
oxygen and carbon dioxide
The trachea splits into which two structures?
bronchi and bronchioles
What does the larynx do?
also known as the “voice box”; manipulates the path of exhaled air to produce pitch and tone.
What type of blood vessel covered the surface of the alveoli?
capillaries
