Topic 6 Flashcards
Stimulus
-Detectable change in the environment
-detected by cells called receptors
Nervous system structure
Central nervous system = brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system = receptors, sensory and motor neurones
Simple reflex arc
Stimulus (touching hot object)
-> receptor
-> sensory neurone
-> coordinator (CNS / relay
neurone
-> motor neurone
-> effector (muscle)
-> response (contraction)
Importance of simple reflexes
-Rapid - short pathway only three neurones & few synapses
-autonomic -conscious thought not involved - spinal cord coordination
-protect from harmful stimuli e.g., burning
Tropism
-Response of plants to stimuli via growth
-can be positive (growing towards stimulus) or negative (growing away from stimulus)
-controlled by specific growth factors (IAA)
Specific tropisms
Response to light -phototropism
response to gravity-gravitropism
response to water- hydrotropism
Indoleacetic acid
-Type of auxin (plant hormone)
-controls cell elongation in shoots
-inhibits growth of cells in roots
-made in tips of roots / shoots
-can diffuse to other cells
Phototropism in shoots
-Shoot tip produces IAA
-diffuses to other cells
-IAA accumulates on shaded side of shoot
-IAA stimulates cell elongation so plant bends towards light
-positive phototropism
Phototropism in roots
-Root tip produces IAA
-IAA concentration increases on lower (darker) side
-IAA inhibits cell elongation
-root cells grow on lighter side
-root bends away from light
-negative phototropism
Gravitropism in shoots
-Shoot tip produces IAA
-IAA diffuses from upper side to lower side of shoot in response to gravity
-IAA stimulates cell elongation
-so plant grows upwards
-negative gravitropism
Gravitropism in roots
-Root tip produces IAA
-IAA accumulates on lower side of root in response to gravity
-IAA inhibits cell elongation
-root bends down towards gravity and anchors plant
-positive gravitropism
Taxis
-Directional response by simple mobile organisms
-move towards favourable stimuli (positive taxis) or away from unfavourable stimuli (negative taxis)
Kinesis
-When an organism changes its speed of movement and rate of change of direction in response to
a stimulus
-if an organism moves to a region of unfavourable stimuli it will increase rate of turning to return to origin
-if surrounded by negative stimuli, rate of turning decreases - move in straight line
Receptors
-Responds to specific stimuli
-stimulation of receptor leads to establishment of a generator potential - causing a response
-pacinian corpuscle
-rods
-cones
Pacinian corpuscle
Receptor responds to pressure changes
occur deep in skin mainly in fingers and feet
sensory neurone wrapped with layers of tissue
Pacinian corpuscle structure
-Single sensory neurone wrapped around by layers of connective tissue each layer separated by a gel
-It has special stretch mediated Na+ channels which gets deformed when pressure is applied and causes depolarisation.
-Neurone also contains Schwann cells
How pacinian corpuscle detects pressure
-When pressure is applied, stretch mediated sodium ion channels are deformed
-sodium ions diffuse into sensory neurone
-influx increases membrane potential - establishment of generator potential
Rod cells
-Concentrated at periphery of retina
-contains rhodopsin pigment connected in groups to one bipolar cell (retinal convergence) - Spatial summation
- do not detect colour
Cone cells
-Concentrated on the fovea
-fewer at periphery of retina
-3 types of cones containing different iodopsin pigments - red,green and blue
-one cone connects to one neurone - Temporal summation
- detect coloured light
Rods and cones: describe differences in sensitivity to light
-Rods are more sensitive to light
-cones are less sensitive to light
Rods and cones: describe differences in
visual acuity
-Cones give higher visual acuity
-rods have a lower visual acuity
Visual acuity
-Ability to distinguish between separate sources of light
-a higher visual acuity means more detailed, focused vision
Rods and cones: describe differences in
colour vision
-Rods allow monochromatic vision (black and white)
-cones allow colour vision
Why rods have high sensitivity to light
-Rods are connected in groups to one bipolar cell
-retinal convergence
-spatial summation
-stimulation of each individual- cell alone is sub-threshold but because rods are connected in groups more likely threshold potential is reached
Why cones have low sensitivity to light
-One cone joins to one neurone
-no retinal convergence / spatial summation
-higher light intensity required to reach threshold potential
Why rods have low visual acuity
-Rods connected in groups to one bipolar cell
-retinal convergence
-spatial summation
-many rods only generate 1 impulse / action potential -> cannot distinguish between separate sources of light
Why cones have high visual acuity
-One cone joins to one neurone
-2 adjacent cones are stimulated, brain receives 2 impulses
-can distinguish between separate sources of light
Why rods have monochromatic vision
One type of rod cell
one pigment (rhodopsin)
Why cones give colour vision
-3 types of cone cells with different optical pigments which absorb different
wavelengths of light
-red-sensitive, green-sensitive and blue sensitive cones
-stimulation of different proportions of cones gives greater range of colour perception
Myogenic
When a muscle (cardiac muscle) can contract and relax without receiving signals from nerves
Sinoatrial node
-Located in right atrium and is known as the pacemaker
-releases wave of depolarisation across the atria, causing muscles to contract
Atrioventricular node
-Located near the border of the right / left ventricle within atria
-releases another wave of depolarisation after a short delay when it detects the first
wave from the SAN
Bundle of His
Runs through septum
can conduct and pass the wave of depolarisation down the septum and Purkyne fibres in walls of ventricles
Purkyne fibres
In walls of ventricles
spread wave of depolarisation from AVN across bottom of the heart
the muscular walls of ventricles
contract from the bottom up
Role of non- conductive tissue
-Located between atria and ventricles
-prevents wave of depolarisation travelling down to ventricles
-causes slight delay in ventricles contracting so that ventricles fill before contraction
Importance of short delay between SAN and AVN waves of depolarisation
-Ensures enough time for atria to pump all blood into ventricles
-ventricle becomes full
Role of the medulla oblongata
-Controls heart rate via the autonomic nervous system
-uses sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system to control SAN rhythm
Chemoreceptors
Located in carotid artery and aorta
responds to pH / CO2 conc. changes
Baroreceptors
Located in carotid artery and aorta
responds to pressure changes
Response to high blood pressure
-Baroreceptor detects high blood pressure
-impulse sent to medulla
-more impulses sent to SAN along parasympathetic neurones (releasing
noradrenaline)
-heart rate slowed
Response to low blood pressure
-Baroreceptor detects low blood pressure
-impulse sent to medulla
-more impulses sent to SAN along sympathetic neurones (releasing adrenaline)
-heart rate increases
Response to high blood pH
-Chemoreceptor detects low CO2 conc / high pH
-impulse sent to medulla
-more impulses sent to SAN along parasympathetic neurones (releasing
noradrenaline)
-heart rate slowed so less CO2
removed and pH lowers
Response to low blood pH
-Chemoreceptor detects high CO2
conc / low pH
-impulse sent to medulla
-more impulses sent to SAN along sympathetic neurones (releasing adrenaline)
-heart rate increases to deliver blood to heart to remove CO2
Structure of mylelinated neurone
Dendrites
Axon
Nucleus
Cell body
Myelin sheath
Schwann cells
Axon terminal
Node of ranvier