Response To Stimuli Flashcards
Stimulus
Detectable change in the internal and external environment of an organism that leads to a response in the organism
Ability to respond is necessary because
It increases chances of survival for organism - detect and move away from harmful stimuli or move towards a source (food)
Stimuli are detected by
Receptors
Receptors are
Specific to one type of stimulus
A coordinator
Formulates suitable response to a stimulus may be at a molecular level or involve a large organ like the brain
Response is produced by an
Effector
Hormones as a means of communication
Slow process via chemicals(hormones ), in large mulitcullular organisms, plants and animals
Animals have a more rapid means of communication
Nervous system
Central coordinator
Each receptor and effector is linked to one. It connects information from each receptor with the appropriate effector
Sequence of events
Stimulus - receptor - coordinator - effector- response
Taxis
Simple response whose direction is determined by the direction of the stimulus - an organisms moves whole body towards a favourable stimulus or away from unfavourable one
Towards stimulus
Positive taxis
Eg towards the light is
Positive phototaxis
Algae moving towards light advantage
Increases chances of survival as being photosynthetic they require light to manufacture there food
Earthworms moving away from the light is
Negative phototaxis
Earthworms moving away from light increases survival rate because
Takes them into the soil where they are better able to conserve water , find food and avoid some predators
Bacteria move towards region where glucose is more highly concentrated as it’s a source of food which is ?
Positive chemotaxis
Kinesis
Organism doesn’t move towards or away from stimulus instead it changes the speed at which it moves and the rate at which it changes direction
If an organism(kinesis)crosses a sharp dividing line between favourable and unfav environment what happens
It’s rate of turning increases raising its chances of a quick return to a fav environment
(Kinisis) if moves a considerable amount into unfav environment what happens to rate of turning
Decreases so that it moves in long straight lines before it turns sharply . This tends to bring the organism to a region favourable
When a stimulus is less directional (kinesis)
Humidity and temperature eg don’t always produce a clear gradient from one extreme to another
Example of kinesis - spend more time in damp than less fav dry preventing then drying out increase survival
Woodlice- lose water in dry conditions so when move from damp to dry move more rapidly to increase chance of getting back to damp. Once in damp they slow and don’t change direction as much so more likely to stay in damp. But if been in dry for a while and been changing direction they move rapidly in straight lines instead to increase chance of getting into damp quicker
Tropism
Growth of part of a plant in response to a directional stimulus (grows towards or away from stimulus- stimulus names the type of response )
Plant shoots response so that leaves are in most favourable position to capture light for photosynthesis
Shoots grow - towards light (positive phototropism) and away from gravity ( negative gravitropism)