5.1.1 Communication and Homeostasis Flashcards
(114 cards)
ectotherms
what is their core body temp dependent on
their surroundings
give some examples of ectotherms
fish, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles (most animals)
why do ectotherms that live in water not need to regulate body temp?
-Due to higher heat capacity of water, the temperature of the environment doesn’t change much
why is it important ectotherms on land regulate temp?
- drastic seasonal and daily changes in temp (these can increase or reduce radiation they absorb from sun)
- need to warm up to carry out metabolic reactions that happen fast enough to be active.
eg) lizard in sun warm up to catch prey fast
How do ectotherms increase body temp by conduction
press body against warm ground
give an example of how ectotherms use exothermic metabolic reactions to warm up
Galapagos lizards contract muscles and vibrate which increases cell metabolism to raise body temps
-butterflies and moths also do this
how do ectotherms cool down and why
opposite to warming up processes
- must cool down to prevent core body temp being too high resulting in denaturation of enzymes
- shelter from sun in cracks in rocks, digging
- press body against cool earth, stones or nearby water and mud
- orientate to minimise surface area in sun
What physiological adaptations do ectotherms have
- dark colours absorb more radiation (lizards in cold are darker vice versa)
- alter heart rate to increase/decrease metabolism and effect of warming and cooling on their surface
are ectotherms or endotherms more vulnerable to changes in environment
ectotherms- adapted for conditions
why do ectotherms need less food
they use less energy regulating body temps, therefore can survive in places food is in short supply eg deserts
What factors are effecting the external environment of an organism
temperature, pH, light intensity
water availability, oxygen availability
threats, sounds, pain
What factors are effecting the internal environment of an organism
blood glucose, internal temp, waste products like urea, hormone levels, osmoregulation, pH
what are the two communication systems in the body
nervous system- cells and neurones
endocrine system- hormones
which communication system is slow acting
endocrine is slower acting but lasts longer
nervous is very fast acting but doesn’t last long
In the endocrine system, where do hormones come from and where do they go
from a gland to a target organ, through blood
- receptors on target organ have specific 3D shape (glycoproteins)
- sometimes a 2nd messenger will become active when hormone arrives at cell and this brings about response
do steroid need a receptor?
no they can go straight through phospholipid bilayeras they are lipid soluble so dont need a second messenger
what is a gland
group of cells that release one of more substances through secretion. endocrine glands contain secretory cells which pass secreted substances into bloodstream.
what is the difference between endocrine and exocrine glands
endocrine means secreting inside so into blood capillaries inside gland.
exocrine eg saliva gland, secrete to outside, they secrete into tube or duct which are not hormones. usually enzymes eg lipases to the duodenum/ gut
what are the 3 hormone catagories
- proteins- eg insulin , peptides
- amines eg adrenaline come from amino acids
- steroids- eg testosterone from cholesterol
what are paracrine and autocrine hormone secreting cells
paracrine- secrete hormones which effect adjacent cells eg gastric pits
autocrine-regulate their own activity, eg testosterone
how is a target cell regulated
only by the hormones it has receptors for not by other hormones.
different cells may respond differently to the same hormone. why?
the transduction machinery of different target cell types reads the hormone signal in different ways.
how are blood hormone concentrations usually controlled?
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK- a reduction in concentration stimulates additional secretion and an increase in concentration inhibits further secretion.
how quickly are hormones degraded
after hormone binds to receptor they are usually degraded rapidly.
-this rapid recovery system means that target cells can be sensitive to changing levels of the hormones that regulate their activities.