Topic 9 - Control Systems Flashcards
Homeostasis
The maintenance of a constant internal environment
e.g. temp, water, pH
Negative feedback
Counteracts any change in internal conditions, restored to optimum
Positive feeback
Acts in same direction as original disturbance therefore reinforcing original stimulus
e.g. blood clotting
What are hormones and where do they come from?
They are signalling proteins secreted by endocrine glands directly into the bloodstream (specific)
2 modes of hormone action
1) Hormones (e.g. adrenaline) bind to a receptor on target cell membrane. Triggers intracellular membrane-bound reactions and stimulates release of second messanger (e.g. cAMP). This activates enzymes to alter metabolism of cell.
2) Hormones (e.g. oestrogen) pass through cell membrane and bind to a receptor inside the cell. They form a hormone-receptor complex, passes into nucleus & acts as transcription factor to regulate gene expression.
What do auxins do?
- Growth stimulants ~(e.g. IAA)
- Maintain apical dominance & suppress the growth of alteral buds
- Promote root growth
- Promote trophic responses to unilateral light (directional growth responses e.g. phototropism, geotropism)
- Functions; rooting powder, weed killers
How do auxins work?
- Cause cell elongation via active transport of hydrogen ions into cell walls
- This lowers the pH of the walls
- This makes the walls mroe flexible to stretch to accommodate more water (enabling expansion and growth of cells)
How does light influence auxins?
- When shoot is illuminated from all sides, auxins evenly distributed & move down shoot tip causing elongation of cells in zone of elongation
- When shoot is only illuminated from one side, auxins move to shaded part of shoot causing elongation of shaded side only (bends towards the light
What do gibberellins do?
- Stimulate elongation at cell internodes
- Stimulate growth of fruit
- Stimulate germination
- Stimulate ‘bolting’ (rapid growth/flowering)
How do gibberellins work?
- Seed absorbs water (activates the embryo)
- Activated embryo secretes gibberellins
- Gibberellins diffuse to aleurone layer
- Aleurone layer produces amylase
- Amylase diffuses to endosperm layer and breaks down starch into glucose
What do cytokinins do?
- Promote cell division in apical meristems/lateral bud development
- Work synergistically with ethene to promote abcission of leaves
What is phytochrome
Plant pigment (blue-green) that exists as 2 interconvertible forms;
- Pr = biologically inactive form, absorbs red light (like sunlight)
- Pfr = biologically active form, absorbs far red light
When do the 2 forms of phytochrome interchange?
When phytochrome absorbs one of the two respective types of light, it is converted to the other form (or in darkness, converted to Pr) at a rate dependent on light intensity
What happens in long/short day plants and neutral plants?
(in terms of Pfr)
- Long-day plants, Pfr stimulates flowering
- Short-day plants, Pfr inhibits flowering
- Day-neutral plants have different flowering triggers
What are etiolated plants?
(& characteristics)
Plants grown in the dark (where phytochrome is in Pr);
- Tall and thin
- Fragile stems with long internodes
- Small yellowed leaves
- Little root growth
What happens when an etiolated plants breaks through soil?
- Pfr acts as a transcription factor
- Moves through nuclear pores and binds to nuclear protein
- The complex activates transcription and controls aspects of growth and development
Central nervous system
Specialised concentration of nerve cells that processes incoming information, sends impulses through motor neurons and carries impulses to effectors
Consists of brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system and consists of what 2 parts ?
Neurons not in the CNS that spread throughout the body
2 parts;
- Autonomic (not under conscious control)
- Voluntary (conscious control)