t4 science Flashcards
What are the five senses?
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
Which organ is responsible for sight?
The eye.
What key structure in the ear helps in detecting sound?
The cochlea.
What part of the body is responsible for the sense of touch?
The skin.
Which sense is associated with olfactory cells?
Smell
Name three key structures in the ear.
Eardrum, cochlea, and ossicles.
What part of the eye helps focus light on the retina?
The lens.
What part of the ear is responsible for transmitting sound vibrations to the cochlea?
The ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes).
Where are the rods and cones located, and what do they do?
Located in the retina, they detect light and colour.
Which nerve carries visual information from the eye to the brain?
The optic nerve.
What are the steps involved in detecting sound?
Sound waves enter the ear canal, the eardrum, the ossicles amplify to the cochlea, which converts them into electrical signals sent to the brain via the auditory nerve.
What role does the cochlea play in hearing?
It converts sound vibrations into electrical signals for the brain.
What is the function of the cornea?
It focuses light as it enters the eye.
How does light detection occur in the eye?
Light enters through the cornea and pupil, is focused by the lens onto the retina, where rods and cones detect light and colour and send signals via the optic nerve to the brain.
What are the three main parts of a neuron?
The cell body, dendrites, and axon.
What is the role of the dendrites?
They receive signals from other neurons.
What does the axon do?
It carries electrical impulses away from the cell body to other cells.
What is a synapse?
A gap between neurons where neurotransmitters help pass signals to the next cell.
Describe the path of information through a neuron.
Information enters through dendrites, passes through the cell body, travels down the axon, and crosses the synapse to the next neuron.
What is the stimulus-response model?
A process where a stimulus triggers a response, such as touching a hot object causing you to pull your hand away.
What is a reflex action?
An automatic response to a stimulus that doesn’t involve conscious thought.
Give an example of a reflex action.
The knee-jerk reaction when tapped below the kneecap.
What does CNS stand for and what is its role?
Central Nervous System; it processes information and coordinates responses.
What is the function of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
It transmits signals between the CNS and the rest of the body.
What are the somatic and autonomic nervous systems?
Somatic controls voluntary movements; autonomic controls involuntary actions like heart rate.
Name the four lobes of the brain.
Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes.
What is the main function of the frontal lobe?
It controls decision-making, planning, and voluntary movement.
What is homeostasis?
The body’s process of maintaining stable internal conditions.
Why is homeostasis important?
It keeps the body’s environment stable for optimal functioning.
What’s the main difference between hormonal and nervous responses?
Hormonal responses are slower and long-lasting; nervous responses are fast and short-lived.
What is the role of the pituitary gland?
It releases hormones that regulate various bodily functions and helps maintain homeostasis.
What is a negative feedback loop
A process where the body counteracts changes to maintain balance.
Give an example of a negative feedback loop.
Body temperature regulation—if too hot, the body sweats to cool down.
How is blood glucose level controlled?
Insulin lowers blood glucose when high; glucagon raises it when low.
What role do kidneys play in water content control?
They adjust the amount of water reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
How does the body regulate internal temperature?
Through sweating, shivering, and adjusting blood flow.
