Topic 6 - Responding to Changes in the Environment Flashcards
What is plant growth controlled by?
IAA (indoleactic acid).
What is IAA?
It is an auxin produced in the tips and shoots of flowering plants.
What is a tropism?
Tropism is a directional growth in plants in response to a stimulus.
What are the three types of tropism?
Phototropism, Gravitropism and Thigmotropism.
What is being described when the plant shoots are labelled as positively phototropic?
Shoots are growing towards the light.
What is being described when the plant shoots are labelled as negatively phototropic?
The roots are growing away from the light.
What does the distribution of IAA control?
It controls the tropisms in the plant.
What happens when the auxins are evenly distributed?
They move down the shoot tip causing elongation of cells across the zone of elongation.
How does IAA affect gravitropism?
It builds up on the lower side of the roots and inhibits growth, causing the root to bend downwards.
What are the 3 main types of neurons?
Sensory neurons, relay neurons and motor neurons.
What are the role of sensory neurons?
They transmit electrical impulses from the receptor to the central nervous system.
What are the role of relay neurons?
They transmit electrical impulses between the sensory and motor neurons.
What are the role of motor neurons?
They transmit electrical impulses from the central nervous to effectors.
What is a simple reflex arc?
A simple reflex is a rapid, involuntary response to a stimulus.
What is a reflex arc?
The pathway of neurons linking receptors in a simple reflex arc.
How are simple reflexes protective?
They help organisms to avoid damage to the body because the response happens quickly.
What are receptors?
Receptors are cells or proteins that can detect a specific stimulus.
What are the two different receptors and what do they detect?
Photoreceptors - Detect change in light.
Mechanoreceptors - Detect mechanical stimuli in the form of pressure and vibrations.
What is an example of a mechanoreceptor?
Pacinian Corpuscle.
What does the Pacinian Corpuscle include?
A single sensory neuron and the end neuron is wrapped in layers of connective tissues (lamellae).
Where is the Pacinian Corpuscle found?
Found deep in the skin and joints.
What does the Pacinian Corpuscle contain?
It contains stretch mediated sodium channels in the cell surface membrane.
How does pressure affect the stretch mediated sodium channels?
- When they aren’t under pressure, the channels are closed.
- Under pressure, the channels become deformed.
What happens when the channels are deformed?
They open and allow an influx of sodium ions.
What does an influx of sodium ions result in?
As the sodium ions are positively charged, the membrane potential is altered - therefore the membrane is polarised. This results in a generator potential being created which goes on to to create an action potential in the axon.