Homeostasis is...
the biological balance between a cell or an organism and its environment (ex: temperature, water levels, glucose)
homeo-
same
-stasis
remain constant
Concentration
a measurement of the amount of solute (substance that is being dissolved) dissolved in a fixed amount of solvent (substance that is being dissolved)
concentration gradient
the difference in concentration of a substance across a space (not the same)
equilibrium
a state that exists when the concentration of a substance is the same throughout the space (same solution inside and outside of the cell)
Brownian Motion
the molecules never hold still, they're constantly moving in a straight line (the random movement of molecules)
Permeable
refers to a membrane through which molecules can pass
Selectively Permeable
not all molecules can diffuse through all membranes (depends on: size of molecule, type of molecule, molecular structure of cell membrane)
Simple Diffusion
the process by which molecules (solutes) move from an area of greater concentration to an area of lesser concentration (passive, can occure outside cell, ex: oxygen in lungs to our blood)
Factors that affect the rate of diffusion
temperature, higher concentration gradient, & pressure
Types of Diffusion
Simple diffusion & Facilitated diffusion
Osmosis
the diffusion of water through a membrane from high to low
Types of Solutions
Isotonic solution, Hypertonic solution, & Hypotonic solution
Isotonic Solution
the condition when the concentration of solute molecule inside & outside of a cell are equal and move at the same rate (passive, water moves, ex: plant that has enough water)
iso-
same
Turgor Pressure
water pressure within a cell
Hypotonic Solution
the solute concentration in the environment is lower than in the cell (lots of turgor pressure, passive, water moves in, ex: paramecium in water)
Cytolysis
the intake by a cell of lots of water that the cell membrane ruptures (plant cells don't rupture)
Contractile Vacuole
an organelle in microorganisms that excretes excess water
Plasmolysis
the shrinking or wilting of a cell from low turgor pressure
Hypertonic Solution
solute concentration in the environment is higher than in the cell (no turgor pressure, passive, water moves out, ex: when you're dehydrated)
Facilitated Diffusion
when carrier molecules (proteins) transport molecules through a membrane without expending energy (uses transport proteins, passive, solutes move, high to low, ex: glucose)
Carrier Protein
changes shape to allow particles to pass
Channel Protein
tube that allows specific molecule to flow through (doesn't change shape)
Active Transport
moving particles from a low to high concentration using energy; ATP is the primary source of energy (against a concentration gradient, must be alive, carrier protein used, ex: NA+/K+ pump nerve impulses & muscle contractions
Endocytosis
process by which cells engulf substances that are too large to enter the cell by passing through the cell membrane (into cell, active, 2 types, ex: white blood cell engulfing a microorganism)
Exocytosis
passage of large molecules out of the cell (vesicle comes from Golgi body, active, ex: transport of glucagon -hormone that opposes insulin- from the pancreas to the liver)
Phagocytosis
movement of large food particles or whole microorganisms into the cell "cell eating" (ex: amoeba eating food)
Pinocytosis
movement of solutes or fluids into the cell "cell drinking" (ex: small intestine absorbing nutrients)