Topic 7: Animal Control, Coordination and Homeostasis

Question 1

What are adrenal glands?

Answer 1

Endocrine glands located above the kidneys that produce adrenaline.

Question 2

What is adrenaline?

Answer 2

A hormone produced by the adrenal glands that is involved in the ‘fight or flight’ response.

Question 3

What does adrenaline do?

Answer 3

It increases heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow to muscles and blood glucose levels.

Question 4

What is anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)?

Answer 4

A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that increases the collecting duct’s permeability to water.

Question 5

What is Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)?

Answer 5

A fertility treatment in which a woman’s eggs are handled outside of the body.

Question 6

What is the barrier method of contraception?

Answer 6

A type of contraception that prevents the sperm and egg meeting, e.g. condoms, diaphragms.

Question 7

What is body mass index (BMI)?

Answer 7

A value based on height and mass used to categorise an individual as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.

Question 8

What is Bowman’s capsule?

Answer 8

The cup-like structure at the start of a nephron that surrounds the glomerulus.

Question 9

What is the function of Bowman’s capsule?

Answer 9

Small molecules, water and ions are forced into the Bowman’s capsule during filtration.

Question 10

What is clomifene?

Answer 10

A drug prescribed to women who do not ovulate regularly.

Question 11

What does clomifene do?

Answer 11

It stimulates the secretion of more FSH and LH, triggering egg production and ovulation.

Question 12

What is the collecting duct?

Answer 12

The final section of the nephron in which water is selectively reabsorbed and urine is sent to the ureter.

Question 13

How is the permeability of the collecting duct altered?

Answer 13

Its permeability to water is altered by ADH.

Question 14

What is the combined pill?

Answer 14

A contraceptive taken orally that contains both oestrogen and progesterone.

Question 15

What is contraception?

Answer 15

A method or device used to prevent pregnancy.

Question 16

What is a contraceptive injection?

Answer 16

An injection that releases progesterone into the bloodstream to prevent pregnancy.

Question 17

What is a contraceptive patch?

Answer 17

A patch that releases both oestrogen and progesterone into the bloodstream through the skin to prevent pregnancy.

Question 18

What is the corpus luteum?

Answer 18

A temporary endocrine structure formed from the remains of the follicle that secretes progesterone.

Question 19

What is the dermis?

Answer 19

The layer of tissue below the epidermis.

Question 20

What does the dermis contain?

Answer 20

It contains temperature-sensitive receptors and sweat glands.

Question 21

What is diabetes?

Answer 21

A condition where the homeostatic control of blood glucose levels stops working.

Question 22

What is dialysis?

Answer 22

A medical procedure that artificially filters the blood of patients with kidney failure.

Question 23

How does dialysis work?

Answer 23

It relies on a partially permeable membrane between the patient’s blood and dialysis fluid.

Question 24

What is an effector?

Answer 24

An organ, tissue, or cell that produces a response to a stimulus.

Question 25

What is an endocrine gland?

Answer 25

Glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream.

Question 26

What is the endocrine system?

Answer 26

A network of glands that produce and secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

Question 27

What is the epidermis?

Answer 27

The outer layer of the skin.

Question 28

What does the epidermis contain?

Answer 28

It contains temperature-sensitive receptors that provide information about the external temperature.

Question 29

What is the fight or flight response?

Answer 29

A physiological reaction that occurs in response to stress where the body prepares to confront danger or flee from it.

Question 30

What is filtration?

Answer 30

The removal of small molecules, water and ions from the blood in the glomerulus of the kidney at high pressure.

Question 31

What is follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)?

Answer 31

A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that binds to follicle cells, stimulating them to mature and secrete oestrogen.

Question 32

What is the glomerulus?

Answer 32

A bundle of capillaries located in the capsule of a nephron adapted for the filtration of blood.

Question 33

What is glucagon?

Answer 33

A hormone secreted by the pancreas when blood glucose concentration is too low.

Question 34

What does glucagon do?

Answer 34

It causes the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver.

Question 35

What is glycogen?

Answer 35

A store of glucose in the liver and muscle tissues.

Question 36

What is homeostasis?

Answer 36

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in the body despite fluctuations in internal and external conditions.

Question 37

What is a hormone?

Answer 37

A cell signalling molecule produced by endocrine glands and released into the blood.

Question 38

What does a hormone do?

Answer 38

It travels to a target organ and binds to receptors on effectors, initiating a response.

Question 39

What is the hypothalamus?

Answer 39

A structure in the brain that contains the thermoregulatory centre.

Question 40

What does the hypothalamus do?

Answer 40

It coordinates information from the receptors and sends instructions to the effectors.

Question 41

What is insulin?

Answer 41

A hormone secreted by the pancreas when blood glucose concentration is too high.

Question 42

What does insulin do?

Answer 42

It causes liver and muscle cells to increase their uptake of glucose and the conversion of glucose to glycogen in the liver.

Question 43

What is in vitro fertilisation (IVF)?

Answer 43

The fertilisation of an egg using sperm outside of the body.

Question 44

What happens after fertilisation in IVF?

Answer 44

The zygote is allowed to grow and the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus.

Question 45

What is a kidney?

Answer 45

One of a pair of organs in the abdomen that has a role in osmoregulation and nitrogenous excretion.

Question 46

What is luteinising hormone (LH)?

Answer 46

A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that initiates ovulation.

Question 47

What does luteinising hormone (LH) stimulate?

Answer 47

It stimulates the development of the remains of the follicle into a corpus luteum.

Question 48

What is the menstrual cycle?

Answer 48

The monthly cycle in women that involves the development of the uterus lining, ovulation, maintenance of the uterus lining and its shedding.

Question 49

What is menstruation?

Answer 49

The shedding of the uterus lining that begins at day 1 of the menstrual cycle.

Question 50

What is metabolic rate?

Answer 50

The rate at which biochemical reactions occur in cells.

Question 51

What is the mini-pill?

Answer 51

An oral contraceptive that contains progesterone only.

Question 52

What is negative feedback?

Answer 52

A corrective mechanism that allows only small shifts from a set point, reversing a change in conditions.

Question 53

What is a nephron?

Answer 53

The functional unit of the kidney.

Question 54

What is oestrogen?

Answer 54

A female sex hormone released by the ovaries that causes the growth and repair of the uterus lining.

Question 55

What does high levels of oestrogen stimulate?

Answer 55

A surge in LH production.

Question 56

What is osmoregulation?

Answer 56

The maintenance of constant water levels in the body fluids of an organism.

Question 57

What are ovaries?

Answer 57

A pair of endocrine glands in females that secrete oestrogen into the bloodstream.

Question 58

What is ovulation?

Answer 58

When an ovary releases an egg at around day 14 of the menstrual cycle.

Question 59

What is the pancreas?

Answer 59

An endocrine gland situated behind the stomach that produces insulin.

Question 60

What is the pituitary gland?

Answer 60

An endocrine gland that produces hormones which control other glands.

Question 61

What is progesterone?

Answer 61

A female sex hormone secreted by the corpus luteum that maintains the uterus lining.

Question 62

What does progesterone inhibit?

Answer 62

FSH and LH release.

Question 63

What is a receptor?

Answer 63

A specialised structure that detects a specific type of stimulus.

Question 64

What are renal arteries?

Answer 64

Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the kidneys.

Question 65

What are renal veins?

Answer 65

Blood vessels that drain the kidneys.

Question 66

What is selective reabsorption?

Answer 66

The selective reuptake of useful substances into the blood.

Question 67

What substances are reabsorbed during selective reabsorption?

Answer 67

All sugars, some water and some ions.

Question 68

What is shivering?

Answer 68

The involuntary contraction of muscles which generates heat from respiration.

Question 69

What are testes?

Answer 69

A pair of endocrine glands in males which secrete testosterone into the bloodstream.

Question 70

What is thermoregulation?

Answer 70

The maintenance of core body temperature.

Question 71

What is the thermoregulatory centre?

Answer 71

An area of the hypothalamus that regulates body temperature.

Question 72

What does the thermoregulatory centre contain?

Answer 72

Receptors sensitive to blood temperature.

Question 73

What is the thyroid gland?

Answer 73

An endocrine gland located in the neck that produces thyroxine.

Question 74

What is thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)?

Answer 74

A hormone secreted by the hypothalamus when blood thyroxine levels are lower than normal.

Question 75

What does TRH stimulate?

Answer 75

The pituitary gland to release TSH.

Question 76

What is thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH)?

Answer 76

A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine.

Question 77

What is thyroxine?

Answer 77

A hormone secreted by the thyroid gland that controls metabolic rate, heart rate and temperature.

Question 78

What is a transplant?

Answer 78

A medical procedure in which an organ or tissue in an individual is replaced.

Question 79

What is type 1 diabetes?

Answer 79

A type of diabetes in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin.

Question 80

How is type 1 diabetes controlled?

Answer 80

Using daily insulin injections, limiting refined sugar intake and getting regular exercise.

Question 81

What is type 2 diabetes?

Answer 81

A type of diabetes in which a person develops insulin resistance or doesn’t produce enough insulin.

Question 82

What often causes type 2 diabetes?

Answer 82

Obesity.

Question 83

How is type 2 diabetes controlled?

Answer 83

By eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise.

Question 84

What is urea?

Answer 84

A chemical produced from the breakdown of excess amino acids in the liver.

Question 85

What is a ureter?

Answer 85

A tube that takes urine to the bladder from the kidneys.

Question 86

What is a urethra?

Answer 86

A tube that releases urine from the bladder, out of the body.

Question 87

What is the urinary system?

Answer 87

The body’s drainage system that removes waste materials.

Question 88

What does the urinary system consist of?

Answer 88

The kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and the urethra.

Question 89

What is urine?

Answer 89

The waste product of the kidney that contains urea, excess water and excess ions.

Question 90

What is vasoconstriction?

Answer 90

Constriction of blood vessels near the surface of the skin.

Question 91

What does vasoconstriction do?

Answer 91

Less blood flows close to the skin surface, decreasing heat loss to the surroundings.

Question 92

What is vasodilation?

Answer 92

Dilation of blood vessels near the surface of the skin.

Question 93

What does vasodilation do?

Answer 93

This allows blood to flow closer to the skin surface, increasing heat loss to the surroundings.

Question 94

What is waist-to-hip ratio?

Answer 94

The ratio of the circumference of the waist to the circumference of the hips.

Question 95

What can waist-to-hip ratio indicate?

Answer 95

Abdominal obesity.