6.4 Homeostasis Flashcards
(92 cards)
What is homeostasis?
involves phsyiological control systems that maintain the internal environment within restricted limits
Why is it important to maintain core body temperature and pH?
enzymes will denature in extreme pHs and in high temps
in low temps - eznzyme activity is slowed
Why is it important to maintain blood glucose levels?
to maintain water potential of blood and supply glucose to cells as a respiratory substrate
water potential needs to be maintained in order to prevent cells loosing or gaining water by osmosis
What is negative feedback?
when deviations from the optimum level are detected by receptors, corrective mechanisms bring the factor back to optimum
What is positive feedback?
when a stimulus detected by a receptor brings about a response that enhances the effect further - so there is greater deviation from the optimum
What is the benefit of having separate mechanisms for different deviations from the optimum?
there is greater control over the system when a factor becomes too high or too low
What are the 3 ways glucose can enter the bloodstream?
absorption from the gut after digestion
hydrolysis of stored glucose
conversion of non carbohydrates into glucose
How do hormones bring about a response?
produced by glands which secrete hormones directly into the blood
carried in blood plasms to target cells with specific receptors
What are all the strcutures of the pancreas?
the pancreatic duct
the pancreas
acinar glands
islet of langerhans:
- alpha and beta cells
-capillary
What is the role of beta cells?
secrete insulin in response to increased glucose concentrations
What is the role of alpha cells?
secrete glucagon in response to lowered glucose concentrations
What is glycogenesis?
the formation of glycogen from glucose
What is glycogenolysis?
the hydrolysis of glycogen into glucose
What is gluconeogenesis?
the synthesis of glucose from molecules that are not carbohydrates - amino acids and fatty acids, glycerol
What triggers the release of insulin?
increased glucose levels detected by beta cells
vesicles containing insulin move to the cell surface membrane and release insulin into surrounding capillaires
How does insulin lower blood glucose concentrations?
- insulin binds to receptor proteins on the surface membrane of target cells
- glucose carrier proteins on the membrane allow for facilitated diffusion of glucose
- insulin (protein) - stimulates chemicals inside target cells which causes more carrier proteins to join the cell surface membrane of target cell = increase rate of glucose uptake
- insulin activates an enzyme for glycogenesis
- also activates enzymes that manufactures fatty acids and glycerol which are stored as fat
negative feedback
What triggers the release of glucagon?
decreased glucose levels are detected by the alpha cells
vesicles fuse with membrane to release glucagon into surrounding capillaries
How does glucagon raise blood glucose concentration?
- binds to transmembrane protein of hepatocytes
- activates enzymes involved in glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis = adenyl cyclase
Descibe the second messenger model with glucagon and adrenaline increasing glucose levels
- Glucagon/adrenaline bind to a transmembrane protein in the cell surface membrane of a liver cell
- the binding of the Glucagon/adrenaline causes an enzyme, adenyl cyclase, to change shape and become activated
- activated adenyl cyclase converts ATP to cyclic AMP - this acts as a secondary messenger
- the cAMP activates the enzyme protein kinase
- activated protein kinase catalyses glycogenolysis - glycogen –> glucose
apart from the second messenger model how can glucagon cause the production of glucose?
uses other sources when the supply of glycogen is exhausted - amino acids and glycerol = gluconeogenesis
What is the role of the liver in gluconeogensis?
the liver can produce glucose from non carbohydrates sources such as amino acids and glycerol
what triggers the release of adrenaline?
in times of stress and excitement it is produced by the adrenal glands
What is the role of Glucagon/adrenaline in the second messenger model?
the binding of Glucagon/adrenaline does not have a direct effect on the cells
but causes a series of chain reactions within the cells
What is the role of adenyl cyclase?
converts ATP to cyclic AMP - this acts as a secondary messenger