Topic 5: Homeostasis and Response Flashcards
Define ‘homeostasis’
The regulation of internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to internal and external changes
What 3 things have to be maintained in the human body?
Blood glucose concentration, body temperature and water levels
What are the 3 components of your automatic control system?
Receptors, coordination centres and effectors
What do receptors do?
Detect stimuli
What do coordination centres do?
Receive and process information from receptors
What do effectors do?
Bring about responses to restore optimum levels
How are nerve cells adapted to carry electrical impulses?
Long, thin and have branched connections
Explain how electrical impulses move between neurons [3]
- Connection between 2 neurons is called a synapse
- Nerve signal is transferred by chemicals which diffuse across the gap
- Chemicals then set off a new electrical signal to the next neuron
Describe the reflex arc [8 steps]
Stimuli, receptor, sensory neurone, CNS, relay neurone, motor neurone, effector, response
Why are reflexes important?
They protect us from harm
Where is the Cerebral cortex located?
Top of the brain
MILC
What is the Cerebral cortex responsible for?
Memory, intelligence, language and consciousness
Where is the Cerebellum located?
Back of the brain
What is the Cerebellum responsible for?
Muscles coordination
Where is the Medulla located?
Bottom of brain/by spinal cord
What is the Medulla responsible for?
Unconscious activities (breathing and heartbeat)
What 3 methods are used to study the brain?
- Studying patients with brain damage
- Electrically stimulating the brain
- MRI scans
Why is investigating the brain so difficult?
Due to its complexity and delicacy
What is the job of the sclera?
Supports the eye
What is the job of the cornea?
Refracts light into the eye
What is the job of the iris?
Controls how much light can enter the pupil
What is the job of the lens?
Refracts and focuses light onto the retina
What is the job of the retina?
To capture the light and colour which enters the eye
What do the ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments do?
Control the shape of the lens
What does the optic nerve do?
Carries impulses from the receptors of the retina to the brain
What happens to your pupil in bright light and how?
- Your pupil gets smaller
- The circular muscles contract
- The radial muscles relax
Why does you pupil constrict in bright light?
To reduce the amount of light that can enter the eye - protects retina
What happens to your pupil in dim light and how?
- Your pupil gets bigger
- The radial muscles contract
- The circular muscles relax
Why does your pupil dilate in dim light?
To allow more light to enter the eye
What happens to focus on near objects?
- The ciliary muscles contract
- The suspensory ligaments slacken
- The lens is thicker and refracts light rays strongly
What happes to focus on distant objects?
- The ciliary muscles relax
- The suspensory ligaments become taught
- The lens is thinner and only slightly refracts light
What causes long-sightedness?
The lens doesn’t refract the light enough - image appears behind the retina
How can long-sightedness be fixed?
Use glasses with convex lenses - increases the refraction
What is the medical term for long-sightedness?
Hyperopia
What causes short-sightedness?
The lens refracts light too much - image appears before the retina
How can short-sightedness be fixed?
Use glasses with concave lenses - counteracts the over-refraction
What is the medical term for short-sightedness?
Myopia
Pros of contact lenses
More convenient than glasses for sports etc
Cons of contact lenses
Risk of eye infections
Pros of laser eye surgery
Can fix hyperopia and myopia
Cons of laser eye surgy [2]
- Risk of infection
- Making vision worse than before
Pros of replacement lens surgery
Can fix hyperopia
Cons of replacement eye surgery
Can cause damage to retina