Topic 6 A: Stimuli and Response Flashcards
What is a stimulus?
A detectable change in the internal or external environment of an organism that leads to a response.
- there is a selection pressure favouring organisms with better responses.
Order of response?
Stimulus, receptors, coordinators, effectors, response.
Examples of stimuli?
Light, pressure, touch, temperature, chemicals, and smell.
What is a tactic response (taxis)?
- directional movement
- direction of stimulus affects the response
Types of taxis?
1 - positive taxis = move towards stimulus
2 - negative taxis = move away from stimulus
Example of tactic response?
Woodlice move away from the light to protect themselves from predators. They also favour damp conditions as it prevents water loss.
- therefore, light is the stimulus.
What is the kinetic response (kinesis)?
- random movement
- affected by the intensity of the stimulus
Example of kinetic response?
Flatworms - when stone is removed they move in random directions in response to light. When they are brought back into darkness they stop moving.
What is tropism?
Growth of part of a plant in response to a directional stimulus.
Explain phototropism in roots?
- plant roots grow away from light - negative phototropism
- ensures probability that roots will grow into soil
- can then absorb water and mineral ions for growth
- roots are positively gravitropic
Light tropism in roots and shoots comparison?
- shoots grow towards light, positively phototropic as auxin stimulates growth in the shoot and the stem curves up
- light is needed for photosynthesis
- roots grow away from light, negatively gravitropic as auxin gathers in the lower half of root and inhibits growth, so curves downwards
Gravity tropism in roots and shoots?
- roots are sensitive to gravity, positively gravitropic
- roots need to be firmly anchored in the soil
- shoots move away from gravity, negatively gravitropic
What allows plants to react to stimuli?
- specific growth factors, which are hormone like chemicals.
- auxins are a group of chemical plant growth factors and the main one is IAA (indoleacetic acid) which is made in the meristem of shoots and roots
IAA when light distribution is even? (shoots)
- IAA molecules are evenly distributed
- diffuse downwards
- cells elongate through shoot and plant grows upwards
IAA when light distribution is uneven? (shoots)
- unilateral light source from one direction
- IAA diffuses down shady side of shoot, increasing concentration on that side
- IAA stimulates cell elongation causing shady side to grow at faster rate - the extra weight causes plant to bend towards light
Gravitropism in roots explained?
- amyloplasts sink to the bottom of the root
- amyloplasts = detect gravity and consist of starch
- IAA actively transported to the region in the root tip where the amyloplasts have sunk - lower side grows at slower rate than upper side
- IAA inhibits cell elongation, more elongation on the upper side causes root to bend downwards
Exam Question (generic) : Explain why the student removed the shoot tip from each seedling.
IAA is produced in the tip/meristem which is where cell division and mitosis occurs.
Exam Question (generic) : Explain why the student added glucose solution to each petri dish?
Respiration which provides ATP/energy for growth
What is plasticity?
The ability to stretch cell walls
Plasticity process? (P1)
- IAA binds to the receptor protein on the cell-surface membrane.
- Hydrogen ions are actively transported from the cytoplasm into the spaces of the cell wall, this is performed by ATPase proton pumps
- This activates proteins called expansins which loosens bonds between celullose microfibrils, increasing a plants ability to stretch and elongate - this is known as ACID GROWTH HYPOTHESIS
Plasticity process? (P2)
- Potassium ion channels open, this leads to an increased concentration of potassium ions in the cytoplasm. This decreases water potential in the cytoplasm.
- The cell absorbs water by osmosis, it enters through the aquaporins and stores water in the vacuole
- End result = increased internal pressure and the cell wall is able to stretch and elongate
Role of a receptor?
They are specific, and convert the energy of the stimulus into the electrical energy used by neurones.
What is a reflex arc?
Pathway along which impulses are transmitted from a receptor to an effector without involving ‘conscious’ regions of the brain.
- quicker than any other nervous response
- e.g., blinking
- detection involves a stimulus being detected by a receptor cell
2 main divisions of the nervous system?
- central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
- peripheral nervous system (multiple neurones)
CNS pathway?
nervous system - cns - brain / spinal cord
peripheral nervous system pathway?
nervous system - pns - sensory / motor nervous system - voluntary / autonomic nervous system