B12: Homeostasis

Question 1

What happens in the endocrine system?

Answer 1

Glands secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream. The blood then carries the hormone to a target organ which produces an effect.

Question 2

Give 2 ways the endocrine system differs from the nervous system.

Answer 2

Endocrine system produces effects that are slower than that of the nervous system. Effects from the endocrine system last longer.

Question 3

What are the 6 endocrine glands?

Answer 3

Pituitary, pancreas, thyroid, testes, ovaries and adrenal

Question 4

What endocrine gland controls blood glucose levels?

Answer 4

Pancreas

Question 5

What happens when blood glucose is too high?

Answer 5

The pancreas produces insulin that causes glucose to move from the blood into the cells. In the liver and muscle cells, excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage.

Question 6

What is Type 1 diabetes? How can it be treated?

Answer 6

A disorder in which the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin. Insulin injections are the best treatment.

Question 7

What is Type 2 diabetes? How can it be treated?

Answer 7

A disorder in which the body cells no longer respond to insulin produced in the pancreas. A carbohydrate controlled diet and an exercise regime are the best forms of treatment.

Question 8

What is obesity a risk factor of?

Answer 8

Type 2 diabetes

Question 9

Give 2 ways water leaves the body

Answer 9

Through exhalation and and sweat (as well as ions and urea here)

Question 10

What does urine remove and via what organ?

Answer 10

Excess water, ions and urea. This happens via the kidneys

Question 11

What does digestion of proteins from the diet result in? Describe the entire process.

Answer 11

Excess amino acids which need to be excreted safely. In the liver, these amino acids are deaminated to form ammonia. Ammonia is toxic, and so it is immediately converted to urea for save excretion.

Question 12

What is the function of kidneys in maintaining the water balance of the body.

Answer 12

They produce urine by filtration of the blood and selective reabsorption of useful substances

Question 13

What substances are useful in selective reabsorption?

Answer 13

Glucose, some ions and water

Question 14

What is the effect of ADH on the permeability of the kidney tubules?

Answer 14

Hypothalamus detects this and ADH is released by the pituitary gland when the blood is too concentrated and this causes more water to be reabsorbed into the blood from the kidney tubules

Question 15

How would people who live with kidney failure be treated?

Answer 15

Dialysis or kidney transplant

Question 16

What happens when body temperature is too high?

Answer 16

Blood vessels dilate (vasodilation) and sweat occurs. These cause a transfer of energy from the skin to the environment

Question 17

What happens when body temperature is too low?

Answer 17

Blood vessels constrict (vasoconstriction) sweating stops and skeletal muscles contract (shiver)

Question 18

What does the amount of insulin someone gets depend on?

Answer 18

What they’ve eaten and how much exercise they’re doing

Question 19

What is glucose a type of?

Answer 19

Carbohydrate

Question 20

What are disadvantages of dialysis?

Answer 20

It is time consuming and a risk of infection and blood clotting occurs. It is also very expensive to run