Unit 1: cell biology, homeostasis, electrolytes Flashcards
Describe homeostasis
the maintenance of nearly constant conditions in the internal environment (ECF)
- Walter Cannon (1929)
“what goes in = what comes out” in a steady state; name examples of what “goes in” to a cell and what “comes out” of a cell to maintain homeostasis.
in: nutrients
out: energy and waste products
waste products can be: CO2, H+, solid waste, H2O, urea, and heat
explain how peripheral circulatory beds maintain homeostasis
they deliver only enough to meet tissue needs
increased metabolism > leads to a response in the CV system > increases blood flow to tissues/organs to meet O2 requirements
through arterioles, blood brings nutrients into the capillary bed, where O2 is exchanged to cells, and the venules bring blood back to the heart but also help to remove byproducts from blood
explain how the following organs maintain homeostasis:
2 hearts
lungs
GI system
kidneys
liver
peripheral vascular beds
L & R heart:
peripheral CV nutrients
O2 circulation to pulm system
lungs: regulate our O2 exchange/blood gas
GI system: replaces nutrients in the blood as they’re being consumed
kidneys: ECF buffering systems (pH)
liver: eliminates wastes/toxins through biliary system
peripheral vascular beds: moves around nutrients
What are 4 different ways the body uses a negative feedback loop to correct a drop in MAP
- increases sympathetic outflow
- decreases parasympathetic outflow
- increases vasopressin and ADH
- decreases ANP
all of these negative feedback systems will counteract the drop in MAP to bring the MAP back up
ANP - atrial natriuretic peptide - a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure by vasodilating vessels in response to atrial stretch due to hypervolemia
This feedback system is the most used in the body.
Negative Feedback System
List the steps for how negative feedback loops help the body maintain homeostasis?
- change/disturbance of homeostasis occurs
- regulatory mechanisms kick in
- body reacts to oppose/counteract the change
ex) increased CO2 leads to increased ventilation to decrease CO2
Explain how a Positive Feedback System responds to changes caused by select stimuli
positive feedback AMPLIFIES the changes
can be good or bad
bad = vicious cycles (pathologic positive feedback loops)
what 2 safety net features prevent physiologic positive feedback loops from progressing into vicious cycles
- checkpoints
- safety valves
explain how active labor is a physiologic positive feedback system
- labor causes the uterus to contract to push the fetus towards the cervix
- cervical stretch (change) causes a release of oxytocin into the bloodstream
- oxytocin causes the smooth muscle of the uterus to contract (amplified via the stretch of cervix)
- loop continues until it hits a “checkpoint” which, in this case, is birth
explain how the clotting cascade/platelet plug formation is a physiologic positive feedback loop
- injury to endothelial wall of a blood vessel occurs (change)
- clotting cascade initiates
- TXA2 (thromboxane 2; a potent platelet activator) initiates platelet aggregation to plug up vessel wall opening – amplification
- continues until reaches checkpoint (controlled bleeding)
name 6 pathologic positive feedback loops
sepsis/necrosis
severe acidosis
peripheral acidotic conditions
atherosclerotic plaque clotting
diabetic renal inflammation/hyperfiltration
severe hemorrhage
describe how sepsis/necrosis is a pathologic positive feedback loop
cellular death increased > wastes/toxins infiltrate neighboring healthy cells > increased cellular death
describe how severe acidosis is a positive feedback loop and what type of positive feedback loop is it?
in severe acidosis, pH is lowered, which decreases your respiratory drive, which further exacerbates CO2 retention and therefore continues to exacerbate acidotic state
pathologic positive feedback loop
describe how diabetic renal inflammation/hyperfiltration is a pathologic positive feedback loop
nephrons die off with aging > which in turn causes healthier nephrons to work harder > healthy nephrons age faster > increased nephron death
describe how severe hemorrhage is a pathologic positive feedback loop
decreased MAP d/t hypovolemia > decreased coronary blood flow > decreased CO > further decreases your MAP
compare and contrast compensated shock versus decompensated shock and how negative and positive feedback loops are integrated
in COMPENSATED shock, a negative feedback loop works well; compensatory mechanisms (fluid shifts) will help the body return to homeostasis
in severe hemorrhage (DECOMPENSATED shock), positive feedback leads to death: hypovolemia > decreased MAP > decreased coronary flow; less blood circulating > decreased CO > cellular death
too much blood loss too fast means that the negative feedback compensatory mechanisms will be outweighed by the positive feedback loop
describe the relationship between anesthesia and homeostasis
anesthetics can alter systems’ physiology (control systems usually in place go “offline” when anesthetics are administered)
also, changes in physiologic systems can alter anesthetic drug responses
cells are usually capable of replication; give 2 examples of some cells that have trouble with replication
neurons
cardiac cells
the cellular membrane contains a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head; this is called a…
phospholipid bilayer
these types of compounds can pass easily through the phospholipid bilayer
charged compounds
the cytoplasm is 70-85% of this material
H2O
describe what the nucleus of a cell does
barrier to keep DNA packed, secured away from pathogens
the contents inside of a nucleus include the following:
nuclear membrane/nuclear envelope
nucleolus
nucleoplasm
chromatin material (DNA)
outside of a nucleus:
selective pores
endoplasmic reticulum
cytosol/cytoplasm