Homeostasis, Neurobiology & Extremophile Adaptations – Lecture Review
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These question-and-answer flashcards cover key lecture concepts on neurotransmission, myelin, homeostatic limits, osmoregulation, blood pH, extremophiles, steroid hormone signaling, and the role of ADH in maintaining water balance.
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36 Terms
Which neurotransmitter becomes deficient when specific brain cells die, leading to movement disorders and tremors?
Dopamine
What is the primary function of the myelin sheath produced by Schwann cells?
To increase the speed of electrical impulse transmission along an axon
What is a synapse in the nervous system?
The gap between two neurons where chemical (neuro-)transmission occurs
State Liebig’s Law of the Minimum in one sentence.
An organism’s growth is limited by the scarcest (smallest-quantity) essential resource
What are "tolerance limits" for an organism?
The range of environmental conditions within which the organism can survive; outside this range survival is threatened
Name two possible consequences of temperature extremes on the human body.
High temperature may cause heat stroke/hyperthermia, while low temperature may cause cardiac fibrillation/hypothermia
What happens to cells when extracellular solute concentration is too high?
They lose water (dehydration) and function poorly
What happens to cells when extracellular solute concentration is too low?
They take up excess water (overhydration), swell, and may be harmed
Approximately what is the solute concentration of body water (physiological saline)?
About 0.09 %
What is the normal human blood pH range, and what does a lower pH indicate?
7.35 – 7.45; a lower pH means the blood is more acidic
Which extremophiles thrive at very high temperatures?
Thermophiles
How do tardigrades survive extreme conditions for decades?
They dramatically slow their metabolic rate, entering a dormant state
How do steroid hormones initiate their cellular effects?
They pass through the cell membrane and bind to intracellular receptors
What triggers the release of Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) and what is its immediate action on the kidneys?
When the brain detects concentrated blood (dehydration), it releases ADH, which tells the kidneys to reabsorb more water from the tubules
Where is ADH produced and from where is it released?
Produced in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary gland
Why does urine become darker when a person is dehydrated?
Because ADH causes the kidneys to conserve water, so less water is excreted and urine becomes more concentrated
Dopamine
Which neurotransmitter becomes deficient when specific brain cells die, leading to movement disorders and tremors?
myelin sheath
To increase the speed of electrical impulse transmission along an axon |
The gap between two neurons where chemical (neuro-)transmission occurs
What is a synapse in the nervous system?
An organism’s growth is limited by the scarcest (smallest-quantity) essential resource
State Liebig’s Law of the Minimum in one sentence.
The range of environmental conditions within which the organism can survive; outside this range survival is threatened
What are "tolerance limits" for an organism?
High temperature may cause heat stroke/hyperthermia, while low temperature may cause cardiac fibrillation/hypothermia
Name two possible consequences of temperature extremes on the human body.
They lose water (dehydration) and function poorly
What happens to cells when extracellular solute concentration is too high?
They take up excess water (overhydration), swell, and may be harmed
What happens to cells when extracellular solute concentration is too low?
About 0.09 %
Approximately what is the solute concentration of body water (physiological saline)?
7\.35 – 7.45; a lower pH means the blood is more acidic
What is the normal human blood pH range, and what does a lower pH indicate?
Thermophiles
Which extremophiles thrive at very high temperatures?
They dramatically slow their metabolic rate, entering a dormant state
How do tardigrades survive extreme conditions for decades?
They pass through the cell membrane and bind to intracellular receptors
How do steroid hormones initiate their cellular effects?
When the brain detects concentrated blood (dehydration), it releases ADH, which tells the kidneys to reabsorb more water from the tubules
What triggers the release of Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) and what is its immediate action on the kidneys?
Produced in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary gland
Where is ADH produced and from where is it released?
Because ADH causes the kidneys to conserve water, so less water is excreted and urine becomes more concentrated
Why does urine become darker when a person is dehydrated?
What is Homeostasis?
The ability or tendency of an organism or cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes.
What is a Neuron?
A fundamental unit of the nervous system responsible for transmitting electrical and chemical signals.
What is a Hormone?
A chemical messenger produced by glands that regulates specific body functions.
What is an Extremophile?
An organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth.