6 Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is homeostasis?
The need of an organism to stay stable in internal conditions by regulating them.
Homeostasis involves a dynamic equilibrium where conditions are maintained within a range.
What is a stimulus?
A change in the environment.
Stimuli can affect the internal conditions of an organism.
What is a response in the context of homeostasis?
A change in the organism in reaction to a stimulus.
Responses are crucial for maintaining homeostasis.
What do feedback mechanisms do?
They use the output of a system to signal a change in input to stabilize or amplify the system response.
Feedback mechanisms can be either positive or negative.
What is a positive feedback mechanism?
A feedback loop where the output intensifies the response.
Examples include human childbirth and fruit ripening.
Provide an example of a positive feedback mechanism.
Human childbirth and fruit ripening.
In childbirth, hormones trigger contractions, which increase pressure and lead to more hormone release.
What is a negative feedback mechanism?
A feedback loop where the output causes a counter response to return to a set point.
This mechanism is crucial for regulating various bodily functions.
Provide an example of a negative feedback mechanism.
Thermoregulation in the human body, osmoregulation, and blood sugar regulation.
These mechanisms help maintain stable internal conditions.
Fill in the blank: In a positive feedback loop, the output of a system ______ the response.
intensifies
This leads to a greater effect and can result in rapid changes.
Fill in the blank: In a negative feedback loop, the output of a system causes a ______ response.
counter
This response aims to return the system to its set point.