HOMEOSTASIS AND RESPONSE Flashcards
(168 cards)
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of a constant internal environment despite changes in the surroundings
What does homeostasis involve regulating in the body?
Blood glucose concentration
Water levels
Body temperature
What is a stimuli?
A change in the environment/surroundings
What are receptors?
Detects something (e.g. retina in eye which detects intensity and colour of light)
What are effectors?
Muscles or glands which carry out responses (muscles contract and glands secrete hormones)
What is the central nervous system (CNS) make up of?
Brain and spinal cord
What does the CNS do?
Collects all sensory information Processes/coordinates it
Responds by communicating with effectors
What is conducted on neurones?
Electrical impulses
What is the order of the nervous systems normal reaction?
Stimulus
Sensory receptor
Sensory neurone
CNS
Motor neurone
Effectors
Where does the sensory neurone carry its electrical impulse?
From sensory receptor to CNS
Where does the motor neurone carry its electrical impulse?
From CNS to effectors
What is a synapse?
The gap between the end of one neurone and the start of the next neurone
What happens at synapses?
Electrical pulses cannot be conducted (no conducting tissue) so chemical neurotransmitters diffuse across the synapse
What are reflex actions?
Automatic and rapid actions that do not involve the conscious part of the brain
What does a relay neurone do?
Connects the sensory and motor neurone (no brain)
What is the order of the nervous systems reflex reaction?
Stimulus
Sensory receptor
Sensory neurone
Relay neurone
Motor neurone
Effectors
What does the cerebrum in the brain do?
Controls voluntary movements, learning, memory and personality
What are the 2 hemispheres of the cerebrum (in brain) connected by?
Corpus callosum
What does the medulla in the brain do?
Controls involuntary muscles and automatic reactions
What is a stroke?
When the blood supply to the brain is cut off
How does an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) work?
Uses radio waves and strong magnetic fields to generate images of the brain
What does the retina in the eye do?
Structure at the back of the eye
Contains receptors that are sensitive to light and colour
What does the cornea in the eye do?
The transparent front part of the eye
Protects the eye
Refracts the light rays entering the eye
What does the sclera in the eye do?
Tough, fibrous layer
Forms the supporting wall of the eyeball