homeostasis and response Flashcards
what is homeostasis
homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment in order to maintain optimum conditions for enzyme and cellular function
give examples of conditions maintained by homeostasis in the body
blood glucose concentration
body temp
water levels
what two types of responses are used in body control systems
nervous and chemical
3 components do all control systems have
receptors
coordination centres
effectors
function of a receptor
receptor detect changes in the environment
function of coordinate centre
coordinate centres obtain and process information from receptors
function of effector
effectors bring about responses to the stimuli
function of nervous system
the nervous system allows the body to react to its surroundings and coordinate an appropriate response
how does a stimulus lead to a response being carried out by the body
- stimulus is converted into an electrical implies by the receptors
- the electrical impulse passes along sensory neuron’s to the central nervous system
- the CNS coordinates an appropriate response and an electrical impulse is sent along motor neuron’s to the effector, which carries out the response
what sequence of events describes how the nervous system works
stimulus, receptor, coordinator, effector, responce
what is a reflex action
a reflex action is an automatic and rapid response which does not involve any conscious input from the brain
why are reflex actions important
reflex actions aid survival by preventing harm to the body
describe how a reflex action occurs via a reflex arc
- the stimulus is detected by a receptor
- an electrical impulse passes along a sensory neurone to the spinal cord
- at a synapse between a sensory neurone and a relay neurone, a chemical diffuses across the gap and stimulates a new impulse which passes along the relay neurone
- the same process occurs at a synapse between a relay neurone and a motor neurone
- at the effector, an appropriate response is carried out
what is the difference between a reflex pathway and a conscious pathway
within a reflex pathway, the coordination centre is a relay neurone found in the spinal cord. in a conscious pathway, the coordination centre is in the conscious part of the brain
function of the cerebral cortex
control consciousness, intelligence, memory, and language
function of cerebellum
controls muscular coordination
function of medulla
controls unconscious activities
example of what the medulla controls
breathing
heart rate
why is the investigation and treatment of the brain difficult
the brain is a complex and delicate organ
the brain is easily damaged and destroyed
certain membranes prevent drugs from reaching the brain
the east function of each part of the brain is not known
what methods are used by scientist to determine brain function?
studying patients with brain damage
electrical stimulation of the brain
MRI scans
what stimuli are the receptor of the eye sensitive too
light intensity
colour
2 main functions of structures found within the eye
focusing on near or distant objects
adaptation to dim light
describe the structure of the retina
the retina is a light sensitive layer found at the back of the eye
describe the function of eye
light stimulates the retinal cells, resulting in impulses being sent to the brain