Topic 2 - Organisation Flashcards
What is a cell?
Cells are the basic building blocks of all living organisms.
What is a tissue?
A tissue is a group of cells with a similar structure and function.
What is an organ?
Organs are aggregations of tissues performing specific functions.
What are organ systems?
Organs are organised into organ systems, which work together to form organisms.
What is the digestive system? (2)
- The digestive system is the organ system that breaks down food in humans and other mammals.
- It’s also an exchange system - exchanges materials with the environment by taking in nutrients and releasing substances such as bile.
What organs is the digestive system made up of + what do they do? (5)
- Glands (e.g, the pancreas and salivary glands), which produce digestive juices.
- The stomach, where food is digested.
- The liver, which produces bile.
- The small intestine, where food is digested and soluble food molecules are absorbed.
- The large intestine, where water is absorbed from undigested food, leaving faeces.
What are digestive juices?
Secretions from the digestive system that help to break down food. They contain enzymes.
What are enzymes?
Biological catalysts. All large proteins
What is a catalyst?
A catalyst is a substance which increases the speed of a reaction, without being changed or used up in that reactions.
What do enzymes do? (3)
- Enzymes catalyse specific reactions in living organisms due to the shape of their active site.
- This is because, for the enzyme to work, the substrate has to fit into the enzymes active site.
- If the substrate doesn’t match the enzyme’s active site, then the reaction won’t be catalysed.
What is an active site?
Every enzyme has an active site with a unique shape that fits onto the substance involved in a reaction.
What is the ‘lock and key theory’?
A simplified model to explain enzyme action.
What is the ‘induced fit’ model of enzyme action?
The idea that the active site changes shape a little as the substrate binds to it to get a tighter fit.
What must temperature be like to have optimum conditions for enzyme action? (4)
- A higher temperature increases the rate of reaction at first.
- But if it gets too hot, some of the bonds holding the enzyme together break.
- This changes the shape of the enzymes active site, so the substrate won’t fit anymore => enzyme is said to be denatured.
- Enzymes in the human body have an optimum temperature (temp at which they work best) of around 37 degrees celsius.
What must pH be like to have optimum conditions for enzyme action? (4)
- If pH is too high, or too low, it interferes with the bonds holding the enzyme together.
- This changes the shape of the active site and denatures the enzyme.
- All enzymes have an optimum pH, but its different depending on where the enzymes work.
- For many enzymes the pH is neutral/7, but not always.
What is pepsin and what is its optimum pH?
Pepsin is an enzyme used to break down proteins in the stomach. It works best at pH 2, which means its well suited the acidic conditions in the stomach.
In what 2 ways is food broken down?
- Mechanically - this includes our teeth grinding down food, and our stomach churning up food.
- Chemically - where enzymes help to break down food.
What do digestive enzymes do?
Digestive enzymes convert food into small soluble molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
What are the products of digestion used for?
The products of digestion are used to build new carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Some glucose is used in respiration.
What do carbohydrases do?
Carbohydrases break down carbohydrates to simple sugars
What does amylase do? Where is it made + where does it work?
- Amylase helps to break down starch into maltose (and other sugars, e.g, dextrins).
- Made in the salivary gland, pancreas + small intestine.
- Works in the mouth and small intestine.
What do proteases do? Where are they made + where do they work?
- Proteases help to break down proteins into amino acids.
- Made in the stomach, pancreas + small intestine.
- Work in the stomach + small intestine.
What do lipases do? Where are they made + where do they work?
- Lipases help to break down lipids into fatty acids and glycerol.
- Made in the pancreas + small intestine.
- Work in the small intestine.
Where is bile made and stored?
Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.