Topic 6: Homeostasis Flashcards
What is homeostasis?
The regulation of conditions inside the body to maintain a stable internal environment, in response to both internal and external conditions.
What are hormones?
Chemical messengers that are made in certain organs and travel around in the bloodstream, affecting various parts of the body.
What are the 3 main conditions controlled by hormones in the body?
Temperature
Water content
Glucose concentration
Why does temperature need to be kept at optimum level?
Must be kept stable for enzymes to work.
Why does water content need to be kept at optimum level?
Dehydration may make body fluids too concentrated and damage the body, being too hydrated can dilute the body fluids.
Why does glucose concentration need to be kept at optimum level?
Glucose is essential for energy but too high or too low glucose levels can damage the body.
What are hormones carried by?
Blood.
What is the speed of hormone transmission?
Slow.
What is the nervous system carried by?
Neurones.
What is the speed of the nervous system transmission?
Fast.
what are blood glucose levels reduced by?
The hormone insulin (a protein) which is released by the pancreas.
If you have low glucose levels, what effect does insulin have one the pancreas?
Insulin won’t be secreted into the blood.
If you have high glucose levels, what effect does insulin have one the pancreas?
Insulin will be secreted into the blood.
If you have low glucose levels, what effect does insulin have one the liver?
The liver won’t convert glucose into insoluble glycogen.
If you have high glucose levels, what effect does insulin have on the liver?
The liver will convert glucose into glycogen for storage.
If you have low glucose levels, what effect does insulin have on blood glucose levels?
Increases it.
If you have high glucose levels, what effect does insulin have on blood glucose levels?
Decreases it.
What is negative feedback?
A mechanism that lowers raised levels of something, and raises reduced levels of something.
What is an animal which is ectotherm?
An animal that is dependent on external sources of body heat (cold-blooded).