midterm 1 Flashcards
(121 cards)
define physiology
the study of the normal functioning of a living organism and its component parts, including all its chemical and physical processes
what are emergent properties?
properties of a complex system that cannot be explained by a knowledge of a system’s individual components ex. emotion or intelligence in humans cannot be predicted from knowing the individual properties of nerve cells
what are the levels of organization studied in physiology?
chemistry (atoms,molecules), molecular biology (cells), cell biology (tissues), physiology (organs, organ systems, organisms, populations of species), ecology (ecosystems of diff species, biosphere)
what are the 10 organ systems of the body?
integumentary, respiratory, digestive, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, urinary, musculoskeletal, reproductive, immune system
what is a function or teleological approach to physiology?
the “why” ex. why do red blood cells transport oxygen? cause cells need oxygen
what is the mechanistic approach to studying physiology?
the “how” ex. how do red blood cells transport oxygen? oxygen binds to hemoglobin molecules in RBCs
what is homeostasis?
the ability to maintain a stable internal environment (blood pressure, body temp, ion/molecule concentration, gas pressures etc.) despite expose to external variability, homeo- similar, stasis- condition
what is the law of mass balance?
the amount of substance in the body is to remain constant, any gain must be offset by equal loss ex. intake through intestine output by liver etc.
why is homeostasis not equal equilibrium?
body compartments are in a dynamic steady state in a stable disequilibrium to maintain the dynamic steady state
how does the local control system help maintain homeostasis?
active cells reduce O2 levels in tissue, active cells send local signals, O2 levels in tissue are restored
how does the reflex control system help maintain homeostasis?
uses long-distance signalling, any long distance pathway that uses the nervous, endocrine system or both ex. blood pressure
what do negative feedback loops do?
a pathway where the responses removes the signal- stabilizes a system, homeostatic, can restore initial state but cannot prevent initial disturbance
what do positive feedback loops do?
reinforce a stimulus to drive the system away from a normal value rather than removing it, requires intervention, not homeostatic
what is feedforward control?
a few reflexes have evolved that allow the body to predict a change is about to occur
what are biorhythms?
variables that change predictably and create repeating patterns or cycles of change, may create an anticipatory response to predictable environment changes
what are the 4 main functions of the cell membrane?
physical isolation, regulation of exchange with the environment, communication between the cell and its environment, structural support
why are cell membranes different depending on the cell?
the more metabolically active the membrane, the more protein it contains
what are the 3 types of lipids found in the cell membrane?
phospholipid (major lipid), sphingolipids (lipid rafts), cholesterol (increases viscosity, decreases permeability)
what are integral proteins and what do they do?
include transmembrane proteins and lipid anchored proteins that are membrane receptors, cell adhesion molecules, transmembrane movement, and mediators of intracellular signaling
what are peripheral proteins and what do they do?
attach to integral proteins, loosely attached to phospholipid head to participate in intracellular signaling and form submembraneous cytoskeleton
what do lipid rafts do?
contain an abundance of proteins important in cell signal transduction
what are glycolipids?
carbs that serve as recognition sites for cell to cell interactions
what are glycoproteins?
carbs that help with structure, transport, and immunity
what does cholesterol in the cell membrane do?
add flexibility to make membrane impermeable to small water-soluble substances