PAPER 2 Flashcards
What is homeostasis
The regulation of the conditions inside your body to maintain a stable internal environment
What three main components make up your automatic control systems?
Receptors, coordination centres and effectors
Why do the internal conditions of your body need to be regulated?
Your cells need the right conditions to function properly including the conditions for enzyme action.
What is negative feedback
When your body detects an imbalance in the levels of something (water or glucose) and so sends a signal to do the opposite
What is a sensory neurone?
Neurones that carry information as impulses from the receptors to the CNS
What is a motor neurone?
A neurone that carries a signal from the CNS to effectors
What is an effector?
A part of the body (muscles and glands) that provides a response to nervous impulses
What is a receptor?
A cell that detects a stimulus
Give 2 examples of receptors
Taste receptors on the tongue
Sound receptors in the ears
How are neurones connected
Synapses
What is a synapse?
A link between two neurones which transfers a signal by chemicals that diffuse across the gap
Whats the purpose of a reflex?
To prevent injury
Give 3 factors that can affect reaction time
Age
Gender
Drugs
How would you measure the effect of caffeine on reaction time?
The ruler drop test, done once without caffeine and repeated again with it
Why might you use a computer to measure reaction time?
It is more accurate, can measure in miliseconds etc
It is more precise, removes human error
Removes the posibility of predicting the drop
What is the pituitary gland?
The ‘master gland’ that controls other glands in the endocrine system
What does the thyroid do?
Produces thyroxine
What does thyroxine regulate? (3)
Heart rate
Temperature
Metabolism
What does the adrenal gland do
Produces adrenaline
What does adrenaline do?
Prepares a ‘fight or flight’ response
What does the pancreas do? (Hormones)
Produces insulin to regulate blood glucose level
What do ovaries do?
Produces oestrogen
What do the testes do?
Produces testosterone that controls puberty and sperm production
Name three differences between nerves and hormones
Nerves are very fast - hormones slower
Nerves are short term - hormones long term
Nerves act on a very precise area - hormones more general