Hormonal communication Flashcards
What do homeostatic mechanisms help do?
Helps organisms to keep their internal body conditions near constant
What are the three key homeostatic mechanisms?
Thermoregulation, Osmoregulation and the control of blood glucose concentration
Define thermoregulation
The control of the body temperature
Define osmoregulation
The control of the water potential of bodily fluids
What is a hormone?
A chemical messenger produced by the endocrine gland and carried by the blood
Define a gland
A group of cells that produce and release one or more substances (a process known as secretion)
What is a first messenger?
The hormone that brings the information or signal from the endocrine gland
What is a second messenger?
It is the bit inside the cell that causes the effect
Do hormones enter the cell? If not, what do they do?
They do not enter the cell but instead bind to a receptor on the cell surface membrane
What are the parts of the nervous system?
Brain, spinal cord, nerves/neurones
What type of message does the nervous system send?
Electrical impulse
What is the method of transmission in the nervous system?
Nerves/neurones
What are the effectors used in the nervous system?
Muscles or glands
What is the speed of transmission for the nervous system?
Very fast
What is the length of effect for the nervous system?
Short until the electrical impulse stops
