Test #1 Flashcards
What is a tissue?
Grouping of similar cells
What is an organ?
A structure with a particular function, made up of 1 or more tissue types
What are the main tissue types? What are their functions?
Epithelial—secretion/barrier
Muscle—force/movement
Nervous—information transport/processing
Connective—structure/support
What is homeostasis?
When the body maintains internal equilibrium
What is the set point?
The reference value for the variable you are trying to regulate.
What is the comparator?
It recognizes when we move to and from a set point
What are regulatory systems and what do they do?
They obtain, integrate and process information and issue commands to effectors. Muscles and glands are considered effectors.
What is a negative feedback system?
Information is used to counteract the influence that created an error signal. A thermostat for example.
What is a positive feedback system?
It amplifies a response and increases deviation from a set point. Ex—breastfeeding.
What is an example of a positive feedback mechanism and why?
Breastfeeding because nerve cells in your nipple signal the brain to release oxytocin, oxytocin causes muscle in breast to contract, breast milk is ejected out of your milk ducts, your baby suckles, and repeat.
Explain the process of eating too many gummy bears in relation to glucose.
The level of glucose in your body increases greatly which then causes the Beta cells in your pancreas to release insulin into the bloodstream and insulin receptors in the liver receive the signal and take up glucose converting it into glucagon for storage.
What do temperatures of hotter than 45°C (113°F) and colder than 0°C (32°F) do to the body?
In those hotter temperatures, protein degradation occurs and in the colder temperatures, cellular dehydration occurs.
What are heat shock proteins (HSP)?
They are proteins that protect the cell from losing integrity by helping them retain protein folding and helping them renature in the face of cell stress/heat.
What are isozymes?
They are enzymes that have the same function but may have different tolerances.
What are isoforms?
Non-enzymes that have the same function.
What does Q10 describe?
It describes how sensitive a metabolic or physiological process is to temperature change.
Metabolism vs. Temperature rise
Metabolism which is a chemical process that helps a body sustain life is faster as temperature rises.
What are homeotherms?
They maintain constant body temperature.
What are poikilotherms?
They have fluctuating body temperature.
What are endotherms?
They change metabolic rate to regulate temperature.
What are ectotherms?
They depend on environment to regulate temperature.
What are the avenues of heat exchange used by ectotherms and endotherms?
Radiation—heat transfer via infrared radiation from warmer to cooler areas
Conduction—heat transfer between objects in direct contact
Convection—heat transfer with a surrounding medium such as air or water
Evaporation—heat transfer as water converts to gas (ex. sweating)
What is vasoconstriction?
The constriction of blood vessels that service the skin to reduce heat loss. The goal is to keep you warmer!
What is vasodilation?
Increased blood flow to the skin increases heat loss and lowers body temperature. This is to make yourself cool down!
What are hot fishes?
They use blood flow to keep temperature warmer than water. They use countercurrent heat exchange through large peripheral arteries near returning veins to keep heat within the muscle.
What is piloerection?
When there is a thick layer of air trapped in feathers/hair that reduces heat loss to surroundings.
What is the thermoneutral zone?
It is where metabolic rate is independent of temperature. Metabolic rate is measured by consumption of O2 or production of CO2. An endotherms thermoneutral zone is bounded by upper and lower critical temperatures.
What is the basal metabolic rate (BMR)?
It is the metabolic rate of a resting animal at a temperature in the thermoneutral zone. The animal is consuming just enough energy to carry out minimal body functions.
What is shivering heat?
It is when skeletal muscles contract, turn ATP to ADP, release heat to warm you up when you are cold or generate fever.
Explain brown fat
Brown fat is packed with mitochondria to generate non-shivering heat which is a process that warms you up without the contraction of the skeletal muscles.
What is thermogenin (UCP1)?
Is it a mitochondrial carrier protein found in brown fat and it is used to generate heat by non-shivering thermogenesis.
What is the brain’s thermoregulatory system?
The hypothalamus because it can lead to heat production as well as heat loss.
What is TRPV1?
It is a protein that recognizes heat and pain.
What is PIEZO2?
It is a protein that allows your body to sense movement and deals with touch.
What is daily torpor?
When small endotherms lower body temperature and metabolic rate during inactive periods to conserve energy.
Describe peptide/protein hormones
These hormones are water-soluble
They can circulate freely
Can be stored in vesicles and released through exocytosis
They bind to external binding sites
Describe steroid hormones
They are lipophilic
Ex. Aldosterone and testosterone
They often deal with intracellular receptors where they bind to and begin transcription
They are not stored, they are made when they are needed
They need help to travel to different parts of the body
What is aldosterone?
It is a steroid hormone that stimulates absorption of sodium by the kidneys and regulates water and salt balance
What is cortisol?
It is the primary stress hormone to help regulate your body’s response to stress. It increases glucose in the bloodstream.
Describe amine hormones
They can be lipophilic or water-soluble
Tyrosine is essential for the production of epinephrine and thyroxine
Epinephrine is water-soluble
Thyroxine is lipophilic
What is thyroxine?
It is an amine hormone that is lipophilic. It plays an important roll in heart and digestive function, metabolism, brain development, bone health and muscle control.
What is epinephrine?
Also known as adrenaline. Plays an important role in your body’s fight or flight response. Has more of an effect on your heart
What is norepinephrine?
Also called noradrenaline. Involved in fight or flight. Stress triggers the release of it. Has more of an effect on your blood vessels
State the different functions of prolactin
Stimulates mammary gland growth and milk production
Regulates salt balance
Stimulates production of egg jelly that surrounds the egg during fertilization
Stimulates nesting, incubation behavior and parental care
What are the characteristics of the nervous system?
Fast
Can turn off quickly
It can rapidly communicate complex information