Vocab 2: Maintainance of Life Flashcards
What is the most abundant substance in the body?
Water
What is the role of water in the body?
- Aids in metabolic processes 2. transports substances within organisms 3. regulates body temperature
What is the role of “food” in the body?
to provide organisms with necessary chemicals in addition to water.
What is “oxygen” and what is its role in the body?
- A gas responsible for releasing energy from nutrients 2. This consequently drives metabolic processes
What is “heat” and what is its role in the body?
- A form of energy (measured via temperature) and a product of metabolic reactions 2. controls the rate at which reactions occur
What is “pressure”?
- The application of force on an object or substance
What is Atmospheric Pressure?
The force acting upon an organism due to the weight of air, playing an important role in breathing
What is Hydrostatic Pressure?
- used by animals who breathe under water 2. heart action producing blood pressure or blood flow in human beings
What are Cells?
Basic structural units of all living organisms
How are cells formed?
Cells are formed when molecules combine to form Organelles, which form cells.
How many cells compose the human body?
70 trillion
What is Homeostasis?
A negative feedback mechanism meant to maintain a relatively constant environment , via 1. Receptors 2. Control Center 3. Effectors to balance opposing pressures within the body
What are Receptors?
Provide information based on stimuli in the internal environment. Measure deviations from set point.
What is the Control Center?
Includes the Set Point, which tells what a particular value, (such as body temp of 98.7) should be
What is an Effector?
Involves muscles and glands, which cause responses that alter the internal environment toward the set point.
