Year 9 Science- Endocrine System

Question 1

Hormone

Answer 1

The chemical substances that travel through your blood flow and act as messengers in the body. They have effects on our bodies like the development of female secondary characteristics (breast, softer voice, softer skin) or controlling the rate of chemicals reactions in the body.

Question 2

Gland

Answer 2

The organs in your body that create hormones.
Eg. The Pituitary gland located on your brain that releases the Human Growth Hormone and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. The human growth Hormone builds muscle, slashes fat and can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Question 3

Endocrine System

Answer 3

The group of glands scattered around your body that produce hormones. This includes the Pituitary, the Thyroid, the adrenal, pancreas, thymus, ovaries and testes.Together they are called the Endocrine system.

Question 4

Target Cells

Answer 4

Hormones travel to all cells in your body, however, they do not have an impact on all cells. The cells that they do travel to are called Target cells. These target cells are the Hormone releasing glands in the endocrine system.

Question 5

Bloodstream

Answer 5

The bloodstream is the blood vessels that act as a pathway for hormones to the target cells. They carry the hormones from the glands to the target cells.
Eg. The Pancreas releases the insulin hormone to the liver and muscles which stimulates the body to store glucose as fat.

Question 6

Feedback loop

Answer 6

An event in a system that results in a series of other events to do with that system. A negative feedback loop means that the system will return to it original state.
For example: Our body what’s to stay at 37° so if we heat up of cool down, our body releases negative feedback so our body returns to 37°.

Question 7

Homeostasis

Answer 7

Homeostasis is achieved using negative feedback. When a system is at a constant state or level in your internal environment then that system has achieved homeostasis.
Ex. Your blood glucose level staying at 37°.

Question 8

Equilibrium

Answer 8

Is the line or level in which homeostasis is achieved. Because we lived in a changing environment it is impossible to obtain true equilibrium. However, we can try achieve dynamic equilibrium.
Eg. Keeping our blood temperature at a good temperature.