Unit 3 Human Biology Flashcards
Meninges
Layer of tissue between skull & brain for protection & cushioning.
Meningitis
Inflammation of meninges. Meningococcol vaccine used to prevent it.
Dura Mater
Outer layer.
Dense, irregular, fibrous tissue.
Attached to outside of cranium.
Dura extends between lobes of the brain & forms a supportive, protective partition.
Extends to base of spinal column.
Arachnoid Mater
Middle meninges.
Spider-web like collagen & elastic fibre found there.
Thin membrane that lacks blood vessels.
Thin strands extend from underside & attach to pia mater.
Pia Mater
“Gentle/little mother”
Innermost layer.
Thin, almost transparent layer.
Many nerves & blood vessels.
Closely follows the contours of the brain & spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
Brain & spinal cord are protected & nourished by CSF.
Mechanical protection (shock absorber).
Chemical protection (optimum chemical environment for impulse transmission & pH controls breathing).
Circulation (brings brain nutrients from blood).
Formed in ventricles of brain.
Ventricles
Where CSF is produced in brain.
Four ventricles:
Two lateral in centres of cerebral hemispheres.
One above hypothalamus & between halves of thalamus.
One located between brain stem & cerebellum.
Hydrocephalus
Too much CSF produced than what is being absorbed by the body.
Large head, headache & increased pressure.
Treatment is draining CSF - no cure.
Limbic System
Located in cerebral hemispheres & diencephalon.
Governs emotional aspects of behaviour & aids in memory - events which produce a strong emotional response are remembered better.
Damage can result in short term memory loss.
Known as the ‘emotional brain’.
Stroke
Reduced or blocked blood flow.
Haemorrhages & blood clots increase intracranial pressure.
Brain tissue dies.
Risk: high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, high alcohol intake, obesity.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA/Ministroke)
May last minutes.
Flow reduced & brain tissue suffers temporarily.
Blood flow reestablished after a while.
Alzheimers (degenerative)
Widespread cognitive deficits (disorientation, short attention span, short term memory loss).
Death from secondary causes (bedridden, etc).
Difficult diagnosis (loss of neurons in specific regions; abnormal proteins deposited in brain tissue; tangled nerve masses)
Damage generally limited to cerebral cortex affecting memory, sensory perception & motor movement.
Cortex decreases in size, ventricles increase.
Parkinson’s (Degenerative)
Progressive disorder of CNS.
Tremor & rigidity (continuous contraction)
Motor performance impaired by bradykinesia (slow motion) & hypokinesia (reduced range of motion).
Treatments aim to increase dopamine & decrease acetylcholine (ACh) with therapeutic drugs or experimental implantation of foetal brain cells (stem cells).
Cerebral Palsy (Traumatic)
Damage to motor areas of brain during foetal life, after birth or during infancy.
Generally due to oxygen deprivation.
Poor control & coordination of voluntary muscle movement, little/no intellectual impact.
Irreversible but not progressive.
Spinal Cord
Extension of medulla oblongata in brain.
Thin cord that passes through vertebral foremen to level of second lumbar vertebra.
Dorsal & Ventral Branch
Close to spinal cord, the mixed spinal nerve splits into a dorsal branch (root) & ventral branch.
Dorsal branch carries afferent (sensory) neurons.
Swelling of dorsal branch known as dorsal root ganglion, which contains the cell bodies of the sensory neurons.
Ventral branch carries efferent (motor) neurons.
Neuron Structure
Consists of cell body, dendrites and axon.
Neurons have several dendrites but only one axon.
One way flow of information.
Efferent (Motor) Neurons
Take impulse from CNS to effectors.
Mostly multipolar with single long axon.
Cell body in grey matter of SC.
Pass through ventral root of spinal nerves.
Dendrites synapse with connector neurons in spinal cord.
Can be somatic (voluntary) or autonomic (involuntary).
Afferent (Sensory) Neurons
Take nerve impulses from receptor to CNS.
Mostly unipolar with cell body lying to once side of axon.
Cell body in dorsal root ganglion.
Passes through dorsal root of spinal nerves.
Sensory receptors occur at end of dendrites.
Axons synapse with connector neurons in spinal cord.
Myelination
Most axons surrounded by myelin sheath.
Made of lipid & protein & acts as an insulator during conduction of electrical impulses through nerves & increases the speed at which the impulse is sent.
Made of Schwann cells in the peripheral NS which is flattened and wrapped around the axon.
Outermost layer contains cytoplasm & nucleus. Layer is called the neurolemma & aids in regrowth of damaged axons.
Gaps between Schwann cells are called nodes of ranvier/neurofibril nodes. Occur 1mm apart.
Unmyelinated axons have a thin covering of neurological plasma membrane.
Multiple Sclerosis
Disease that affects myelin sheaths of neurons in CNS.
Sheaths deteriorate & form plaques/scleroses.
Loss of sheath causes nerves to ‘short circuit,’ causing muscle weakness, loss of coordination, visual impairment & speech disturbances.
Most common in women between 20-40.
Attacks alternatively with periods of remission with improvement in symptoms.
Progressive loss of function.
May be in autoimmune response following viral infection.
Grey & White Matter
White: consists of myelinated processes of axons.
Grey: contains cell bodies, dendrite, unmyelinated axons & neuroglia.
In spinal cord, grey matter forms a central H in the cord.
In the brain, thin outer shell of grey matter forms over cerebral hemispheres.
Deep in cerebrum are areas of grey matter called nuclei.
Most nerves in the PNS & all tracts in CNS are white matter.
Multipolar
Several dendrites & one axon - neurons of CNS are mostly multipolar.
Unipolar
One process & are always sensory neurons.
Axon terminals are in CNS & cell bodies in ganglia outside CNS.
Cell body attached to side of axon.
Bipolar
One main dendrite & one axon. Usually found in special sense organs.
Functional Classification of Neurons
Sensory/afferent neurons: transmit sensory impulses, have specialised receptor ends at tips of dendrites or the dendrites are in contact with specialised receptor cells in the skin/sense organs. (Most unipolar, some bipolar)
Motor/efferent neurons: transmit motor nerve impulses from CNS to effectors. (Accelerator neurons - increase activity; inhibitory neurons - slows rate of activity).
Interneurons / Association Neurons
Multipolar neurons in CNS that form links between other neurons.
Regeneration of Nerve Fibres
At 6 months, neurons lose their ability to divide.
If cell body is injured, the cell dies.
If peripheral axon is cut, it may regenerate.
Distal portion (axon terminals) of axon & myelin sheath die, but neurolemma remains.
Proximal axon (axon hillock) develops sprouts, one of which forms into tube.
Remaining Schwann cells divide & form a regeneration tube.
Reflex Arc
Rapid, predictable, automatic response to a stimulus.
Unlearned, unpremeditated & involuntary.
One is conscious of somatic reflexes only after they occur.
Two types:
Somatic: involves contraction of skeletal muscle.
Autonomic: involves responses of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle & glands.
5 Components of Reflex Arc (RSIME)
- Receptor: sensory structures respond to changes in the environment.
- Sensory neuron: conducts an impulse from a receptor to its axon terminals.
- Integrating centre: some region within the CNS.
- Motor neuron: impulses from integrating centre to an effector.
- Effector: body part which responds to the motor nerve impulse (muscle or gland).
Neurophysiology
Plasma membrane has a resting membrane potential, an electric voltage difference across the membrane.
The membrane is polarised because of the separation of charges.
Ions moved in & out of the cell by active transport - Na/K pumps.
Passive Ion Channels (Location)
Found on dendrite, cell body & axon.
Passive channels are responsible for the resting membrane potential.
Chemically Gated Ion Channels
Found on dendrites & cell body.
Responsible for the synaptic potentials, the incoming signals to the neuron.
Voltage Gated Ion Channels (Location)
Found on axon hillock unmyelinated axons & nodes of Ranvier on myelinated axons.
Potential Difference
Difference in electrical charge between two points.
Represents stored energy & is measured in volts.
Ion Channels
Purpose is to send nerve impulse or action potential down cell membrane.
Flow of charged particles known as current.
Current is caused by the movement of positively charged ions rather than flow of electrons.
If membrane is polarised, it is in its resting state.
Nerve Transmission/Impulse
- Due to different permeability to Na & K, there is a weak electrical charge across the membrane of the neuron (resting potential). Membrane is said to be polarised.
- When the neuron is stimulated, the action of the Na & K membrane pumps are briefly interrupted. Changes to the permeability of the membrane allows Na to diffuse into the cell & K to diffuse out.
- This reverses the electrical charge across the membrane (action potential). The cell membrane is said to be depolarised.
- Depolarisation sweeps down the nerve fibre in a sequence of small steps - nerve impulse.
- As soon as the nerve impulse passes, the membrane pumps are reactivated & the resting potential restored.
- In myelinated fibres, the impulse leap-frogs from node to node, known as saltatory conduction.
Speed of Transmission in Neuron Cell (Factors Affecting)
Affected by diameter of nerve fibre (thicker = faster) & myelination (saltatory conduction in myelinated fibres = faster than continuous conduction).
Action Potential (Impulse)
A series of rapidly occurring events that decrease & reverts the polarity of the membrane.
These impulses can travel long distances without dying out.
Action potentials rely on two types of gated ion channels - Na to enter & K to leave.
When a depolarisation equals or exceeds the threshold amount, many voltage gated Na channels open & Na diffuses into the cell.
As Na rushes into the cell, the membrane potential reaches 0 & momentarily becomes positive.
These gates remain open for only a few 1/10 000 of a second, & are closed by an inactivation gate.
The same depolarisation that opened the Na channels also causes K channels to open, but they open more slowly so that they open about the same time that the Na channels are closing.
K diffuses out of the cell due to a high concentration out of the cell & high concentration inside the cell. The resting membrane potential is reestablished.
Na/K pumps pump K into the axon & Na back out to maintain the concentration gradient.
Na Channels
Have two gates - at rest, one is closed (activation gate) & the other is open (inactivation gate).
Depolarisation affects both gates.
FINISH
Action Potential
- Resting potential: Cell is polarised (-70mv).
- Threshold: Stimulus reaches the threshold potential. Stimulus strength reaches threshold limit (-55mv).
- Depolarisation: Na+ channels open; K+ channels close. Voltage gated Na+ channels open. Na+ flows into the cytoplasm. More voltage gated Na+ channels open (positive feedback).
- Repolarisation: Na+ channels close; K+ channels open. Membrane remains hyperpolarised until K+ channels close, causing the relative refractory period.
- Hyperpolarisation: K+ channels close slowly. Causes the mv value to exceed below -70mv, & adjusts to return to 70mv.
Absolute Refractory Period
During time between opening of Na channel activation gate & opening of the inactivation gate, a Na channel cannot be stimulated.
This is known as absolute refractory period.
A Na channel cannot be involved in another action potential until the inactivation gate has been reset.
Another action potential cannot be stimulated.
Relative Refractory Period
An action potential can be generated during hyperpolaristion which requires the second stimulus to be much stronger.
Because of the refractory period, a nerve fibre cannot be continually stimulated.
Nerve impulse conduction is an all-or-nothing response.
CNS perceives a stimulus as weak or strong based on the frequency of the action potentials in the axon.
Synapse
The junction between two neurons, or between a neuron & a muscle gland.
Nerve impulse transmission occurs because special neurotransmitter chemicals are released into the tiny gap (synaptic cleft) which separates the two nerve cells.
Acetylcholine & noradrenaline are the neurotransmitters of the PNS.
Synapse Process
Action potential occurs.
An impulse travels down an axon of a presynaptic neuron and reaches the synaptic end bulb. This opens Ca VGICs located at the end of the neuron.
Ca diffuses into the cell & through a series of reactions, causes synaptic vesicles of neurotransmitters to fuse with the cell membrane.
The neurotransmitters are released from the presynaptic neuron into the synapse via exocytosis.
Neurotransmitters diffuse across synapse & bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. This causes Na CGICs to open and Na to travel into the postsynaptic neuron.
Neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine (transmits signal to skeletal muscle).
Epinephrine/adrenaline & norepinephrine (fight or flight response).
Serotonin (widespread in brain, affects mood, sleep, attention & learning).
Dopamine (widespread in brain, affects mood, sleep, attention & learning. Lack associated with Parkinson’s. Excessive amounts linked to schizophrenia).
Gasses (carbon monoxide), mood altering drugs (amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol), hallucinogenic drugs and poisons/venoms can affect neurotransmitters and their function.
Homeostasis
The process whereby the body’s internal environment in maintained in a steady state (ie. within normal tolerance limits).
Is regulated by the nervous & endocrine systems.
Autonomic NS has control over digestion, respiration, circulation, hormone secretion, maintaining body temperature & water balance.
Negative Feedback Loop
Homeostasis is regulated & maintained by negative feedback loops (the response neutralises/reverses the original stimulus).
Control Mechanisms of Homeostasis
- Control centre:
Mainly brain & other parts of the CNS.
Sets values at which the controlled system should be maintained. - Receptor:
Monitors changes in the controlled condition & sends information to control centre. - Effectors:
Receives information from controlled centre & produces response to correct stimuli.
Stimuli → Receptor → Modulator → Transmission → Effector → Response → Feedback
Why is homeostasis important?
Maintains conditions under which cells perform most efficiently.
Tolerance Limits
The range of conditions in which the body can function.
If the condition changes beyond the tolerance limits, the body systems cannot function properly, resulting in sickness/death.
ICU provides equipment that can carry out homeostatic balance.
Tissue Fluid Properties/Functions
Regulates body temperature, blood pressure, fluid concentrations, acidity, concentration of nutrients/wastes/gasses.
Physical Heat Exchange Processes
Radiation: no direct contact, can result in heat gain or loss. Eg: sun, fire.
Convection: hot or cold air passes over a body, can result in heat gain or loss. Eg: fan.
Conduction: direct contact with heat source, can result in heat gain or loss. Eg: standing on hot sand.
Evaporation: transformation of water from its liquid state to gaseous state, results in only heat loss. Eg: steam or water vapour.
Feedback Loop: Temperature >37ºC
Stimulus: Core body temperature >37ºC.
Receptor: Thermoreceptors on skin & hypothalamus.
Modulator: Thermoregulatory centre in hypothalamus.
Transmission: ANS
Effector: Sweat glands & cutaneous arterioles.
Response: Sweating & vasodilation.
Feedback: Increased heat loss & decreased heat loss results in decreased core body temperature to set point.
Feedback Loop: Temperature <37ºC
Stimulus: Core body temperature <37ºC.
Receptor: Thermoreceptors on skin & hypothalamus.
Modulator: Thermoregulatory centre in hypothalamus.
Transmission: ANS
Effector: Cutaneous arterioles & skeletal muscles.
Response: Shivering & vasoconstriction.
Feedback: Decreased heat loss & increased heat production results in increased core body temperature to set point.
Thermoneutral Zone
The temperature range bounded by the lower critical temperature (point where shivering starts) and upper critical temperature (point where sweating starts).
Increasing Heat Production
Increased metabolic activity (more muscular work) increases heat production.
Shivering reflex involves groups of antagonistic muscles surrounding vital organs being stimulated simultaneously which results in shaking (shivering), increasing heat production.
The hormones adrenaline & thyroxine increase the metabolic rate & thus heat production.
Reducing Heat Loss
Loss of heat can be reduced by vasoconstriction of the cutaneous arterioles (blood vessels) & piloereaction (arrector pili muscles contract, increasing thickness of ‘dead air’ around the body).
Increasing Heat Loss
Above TNZ, the body produces more heat into the environment through sweating, vasodilation.
Thyroxine used to increase or decrease heat loss.
Sweat glands secrete sweat which is carried out by sweat ducts onto the skin surface, and evaporated.
Voluntary Responses (Heat Change)
Response to heat change - clothes on/off, hot/cold food consumption, exercise, etc.
Kidney Function
Fluid/salt balance, removal of wastes (urea), pH balance.
Fluid Circulation
Substances enter & leave the blood stream via the permeability capillaries.
At the arterial end of a capillary there is a mass flow of plasma & nutrients from the bloodstream into the tissue fluid.
This occurs because the blood pressure is greater than the osmotic pressure (working in the opposite direction).
As the blood is forced through the capillary the blood pressure drops.
At the venous end of a capillary there is a mass flow of tissue fluid & wastes from the tissues into the bloodstream.
This occurs because the blood pressure is now less than the osmotic pressure.
Around 55% of body fluids is water, 45% organic & inorganic components.
Of bodily fluids, 55% is intracellular fluid, 8% is plasma, 36% is tissue fluid & 1% is extracellular fluids.
Urine Formation
Filtration (renal corpuscle), selective reabsorption (PCT, Loop of Henle, DCT & collecting duct), tubular secretion (PCT & DCT).
Filtration
Structure: renal corpuscle.
Substance: water, urea, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, salts (Na, Cl).
Transport: passive.
Selective Reabsorption
Structure: PCT/LoH/DCT/CD.
Substance: water, salts, glucose, w amino acids, vitamins/water, Na, Cl/water, Na, Cl/water
Transport: osmosis & active/osmosis & active/osmosis & active/passive.
Tubular Secretion
Structure: PCT & DCT.
Substance: H+, NH4+, creatinine, toxins, drugs, neurotransmitters.
Transport: active.
Selective Water Reabsorption
Can be divided into two phases:
1. Reabsorption of salt under influence of aldosterone.
2. Reabsorption of water under influence of ADH, targeting ascending limb & DCT.
Feedback Loop: Reabsorption of Salt / Decreased Blood Pressure
Stimulus: decreased blood volume (decreased blood pressure).
Receptor: baroreceptors in renal artery.
Modulator: hypothalamus.
Transmission: stimulates AP to secrete ACTH to stimulate adrenal cortex to secrete aldosterone.
Effector: Na pumps in LH to the DCT of the nephron.
Response: Na reabsorbed.
Feedback: Creating osmotic gradient & water diffuses back into the blood.
Feedback Loop: Influence of ADH
Stimulus: decreased blood volume, reduced blood pressure, increased osmotic pressure.
Receptor: osmoreceptors in hypothalamus.
Modulator: hypothalamus/trigger thirst reflex (→ feedback).
Transmission: nerve signals to posterior pituitary gland, ADH secreted into bloodstream.
Effector: DCT & collecting duct of nephron.
Response: increases permeability of DCT & collecting duct.
Feedback: water reabsorbed, osmotic pressure maintained or reduced, decrease in urine production.
Glucose Concentration
Normal: 80-120 mg/100cm^-3.
Below 60 = coma.
Above 180 = exceeds renal threshold & glucose appears in urine.
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Glycogenesis
- Glucose absorbed across membrane by facilitated diffusion.
- Glucose stored as glycogen.
Glycogenolysis
- Glycogen broken down to glucose.
- Glucose diffuses out of cell through protein carriers.
Glucose Storage (Decreasing Blood Glucose)
Glucose concentration in blood increases.
Beta cells in pancreas release insulin.
Insulin stimulates liver cells to store glucose as glycogen.
Insulin stimulates lipid synthesis.
Insulin helps to conserve resources.
Energy/Glycogen Storage
Glycogen storage: glucose polymer in liver & muscle cells.
If glycogen stores are full & caloric intake still exceeds caloric expenditure, excess stored as fat - synthesis pathway.
Insulin
Decreases blood glucose level.
If glucose rises above set point, pancreas secretes insulin.
Promotes transport of glucose into cells & storage of glucose as glycogen in liver & muscle cells.
Glucagon
Increases blood glucose levels.
When glucose levels drop below set point, pancreas secretes glucagon.
Promotes breakdown of glycogen & releases glucose into the blood.
Adrenaline
Increases blood glucose levels.
Promotes breakdown of glycogen in the liver (glycogenolysis) & release of glucose into blood.
Promotes production of glucose in the liver (gluconeogenesis) & release of glucose into the blood.
Raises blood glucose levels.
Cortisol
Increases blood glucose level.
Increases resistance of fat & muscle cells to insulin.
Promotes breakdown of glycogen in the liver (glycogenolysis) & release of glucose into the blood.
Promotes production of glucose in the liver (gluconeogenesis) & release of glucose into the blood.
Raises the blood glucose levels.
Feedback Loop: Rising Blood Glucose
Stimulus: rising blood glucose level.
Receptor: chemoreceptors in pancreas, islets of langerhans, beta cells.
Modulator: islets of langerhans, beta cells, production of insulin.
Transmission: insulin secreted into the blood.
Effector: somatic cells & liver.
Response: somatic cells take up more glucose/more permeable, liver takes up more glucose & stores it as glycogen (glycogenesis).
Feedback: blood glucose levels decrease to set point, insulin release diminishes.
Feedback Loop: Decreased Blood Glucose
Stimulus: decreased blood glucose levels.
Receptor: chemoreceptors in pancreas, islets of langerhans, alpha cells.
Modulator: islets of langerhans, alpha cells producing glucagon.
Transmission: glucagon secreted into blood.
Effector: liver.
Response: liver breaks down glycogen & releases glucose into the blood (glycogenolysis).
- adrenal medulla releases adrenaline/noradrenaline for glycogenolysis/breakdown of glycogen into glucose.
- adrenal cortex releases cortisol for glycogenolysis.
- cortisol also triggers removal of amino acids from muscle cells, sending them to liver to be converted to glucose (gluconeogenesis).
- lipolysis also helps aid with gluconeogenesis.
Feedback: blood glucose level rises to set point, glucagon release diminishes.
Blood Pressure
Pressure of the circulating blood against walls of blood vessel.
Pressure is highest when the ventricles in heart contract (systole) and lowest when they relax (diastole).
Adult BP is normal at around 120/80.
Sinoatrial Node
Heart contains conductive tissue which regulates heart beat.
SA node/pacemaker is a cluster of specialised cardiac cells in the wall of the right atrium which initiates the heart beat.
The atrioventricular node (AV node) is the secondary pacemaker which regulates the beating of the ventricles.
Cardiac Output
Total volume of blood being pumped out of the heart over a particular period of time.
Affected by stroke volume & heart rate.
CA = stroke volume x heart rate
Factors affecting Stroke Volume
Venous return (F-S Law)
Autonomic NS (sympathetic stimulation increases stroke volume)
Hormones (thyroxine, adrenaline/noradrenaline, glucagon)
Ca & K levels
Frank-Sterling Law of the Heart
Greater volume of blood entering the heart during diastole, the greater volume of blood ejected during systolic contraction (stroke volume).
Feedback Loop: Increased Heart Rate/Blood Pressure
Stimulus: blood pressure/heart rate increases.
Receptor: baroreceptors in right atrium, aorta & carotid artery.
Modulator: cardiac centre in medulla oblongata.
Transmission: vagus nerve.
Effector: heart (SA node).
Response: parasympathetic stimulation slows down heart rate.
Feedback: decreased blood pressure to set point
Feedback Loop: Decreased Heart Rate/Blood Pressure
Stimulus: blood pressure/heart rate decreases.
Receptor: baroreceptors in right atrium, aorta & carotid artery.
Modulator: cardiac centre in medulla oblongata.
Transmission: cardiac nerve.
Effector: heart (SA node).
Response: sympathetic stimulation speeds up heart rate.
Feedback: blood pressure/heart rate increases.
Control of Breathing
Can be voluntary or involuntary.
Control centres occur in brain stem:
- Medullary rhythmicity centre (normal breathing).
- Apneustic centre (rate of breathing).
- Pneumotaxic centre (depth of breathing).
Nerve impulses activate respiratory muscles:
- Diphragm
- Intercostal muscles (internal & external).
Respiratory Cycle
Quiet breathing:
- Inhalation (active)
- Exhalation (passive)
→ Diaphragmatic (deep breathing)
→ Costal (shallow breathing)
Forced breathing:
- Inhalation & exhalation (active)
Regulation of Normal Breathing Cycle
Quiet Breathing:
- Inspiration (2 sec)
- Inspiratory nucleus activated.
- Nerve impulses sent to respiratory muscles.
- Respiratory muscles contract.
- Exhalation (3 sec)
- Inspiration nucleus suppressed.
- Respiratory muscles relax.
Regulation of Forced Breathing
- Inspiration
- Inspiratory nucleus activated/expiration nucleus suppressed.
- Nerve impulses sent to respiratory muscles.
- Inspiratory muscles contract/expiration muscles relax.
- Expiration
- Expiratory nucleus activated/Inspiratory nucleus suppressed.
- Nerve impulses sent to respiratory muscles.
- Expiratory muscles contract/inspiratory muscles relax.
Respiratory Reflexes
Normal breathing modified by:
- Changes in levels of oxygen & carbon dioxide.
- Changes in blood pressure.
- Stretch receptors in lungs.
- Irritants (sneezing, coughing, etc).
- Sensations (such as cold, pain, etc).
Basic rhythm of ventilation controlled by medullary rhythmicity area (medulla oblongata).
Inspiratory area (dorsal resp. group).
- Determines basic rhythm of breathing.
- Causes contraction of diaphragm & external intercostals.
Expiratory area (ventral resp. group)
- Inactive during normal quiet breathing.
- Activates the inspiratory area during forceful breathing.
- Causes contraction of internal intercostals & abdominal muscles.
Feedback Loop: Breathing/Low & High CO2
Stimulus: high CO2 (low pH or high H+) or Low O2
Receptor: chemoreceptors in the aorta (high CO2 or low O2), carotid artery (high CO2 or low O2) and medulla oblongata (high CO2 only).
Modulator: respiratory centers in brain stem (medulla oblongata and pons).
Transmission: reflexes involving somatic nerves.
Effector: respiratory muscles (diaphragm and intercostal muscles).
Response: increase rate and depth of breathing.
Feedback: levels of CO2 decrease and O2 increase return to normal.
Steady State Control Mechanisms
Sweating, shivering, vasoconstriction, vasodilation: body temperature.
Breathing rate: oxygen & carbon dioxide levels, pH.
Cardiac output: most homeostatic functions.
Kidney function: fluid balance, pH, getting rid of wastes.
Diabetes
A disease characterised by abnormally high levels of blood glucose.
Results in the body’s inability to produce sufficient insulin to maintain blood sugar level in homeostatic balance.
Insulin
Hormone that lowers blood glucose.
Glucagon
Hormone that raises blood glucose level.
Glucose
Simple carbohydrate (basic carbohydrate building block).
Glycogen
Complex carbohydrate (stored in liver & muscles).
Glycogenesis
Formation of glycogen from glucose, or from breaking down lipids/proteins.
Glycogenolysis
Breakdown of glycogen to glucose.
Lipogenesis
Formation of fats from carbohydrates.
Glycaemia
Blood glucose level.
Feedback Loop: Low Blood Sugar
Stimulus: blood glucose below threshold (<90mg/dl).
Receptor: α-cells of Islets of Langerhans (pancreas)
Modulator: α-cells secrete glucagon.
Transmission: glucagon secreted into bloodstream.
Effector: skeletal muscles, liver & fat.
Response: liver & skeletal muscles - glycogen converted to glucose. Fat - increases fat mobility.
Feedback Loop: High Blood Glucose
Stimulus: blood glucose above threshold (>90mg/dl)
Receptor: β-cells in Islets of Langerhans (pancreas).
Modulator: insulin secreted from β-cells.
Transmission: insulin secreted into bloodstream.
Effectors: somatic cells & liver.
Response: somatic cells become more permeable to glucose; liver - converts glucose to glycogen.
Type 1 Diabetes
Body produces no/too little insulin.
Treated with regular insulin injections.
Early onset.
Type 2 Diabetes
Late onset - generally occurs after 30.
Body’s cells become resistant to insulin and/or too little insulin produced.
Treated by dietary control, regular exercise, medication such as insulin injection can be used.
Life threatening if left untreated.
Diabetes Symptoms
Excessively thirsty.
Passing more urine.
Feeling tired & lethargic.
Always feeling hungry.
Having cuts that heal slowly.
Itching, skin infections.
Blurred vision.
Weight change (T1 - loss, T2 - gain).
Diabetes - If Homeostasis is not Restored
Blindness
Kidney failure
Cardiovascular disease
Loss of sensation
Ulcers & gangrene sometimes requiring amputation of toes or foot.