Maintaining Homeostasis Practice Flashcards

Homeostasis

The maintenance of internal conditions within certain limits through feedback mechanisms and behaviors.

ATP

Energy made and used by organisms all the time, often produced in cellular respiration using $O_2$ and producing $CO_2$ as a waste product.

Metabolism

All the enzyme controlled reactions that occur in living organisms.

Synthesis

The life process of chemically combining smaller molecules to form larger molecules.

Organelle

A structure or part of a cell that has a specific job or function to maintain homeostasis.

Feedback Mechanism (Feedback Loops)

A dynamic system in which a substance is monitored, and based on its levels, a change occurs to keep internal conditions within a normal range.

Stimulus

A change in the environment detected by a sensor, such as organelles, receptor molecules, or organs.

Effector

The component (muscles, glands, or cells) that receives and responds to messages sent by a control center.

Positive Feedback Loop

A system where an increase in a monitored substance stimulates an activity, or a decrease inhibits it, such as during childbirth.

Negative Feedback Loop

A system where a response lowers levels of a substance when they are high and increases them when they are low, such as thermoregulation.

Peristalsis

Muscular contractions of the digestive system that push contents through the digestive tract from the esophagus to the anus.

Chyme