Unit 2 Section 2 Feedback and Homeostasis Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to biological feedback mechanisms and homeostasis from Unit 2 Section 2.

Cancer

A disease resulting from the uncontrolled growth and division of the cells of a multicellular organism

Cell

The basic structural unit of all living organisms

Control Center

The part of the body that processes information from the receptor and sends a response to the effector

Effectors

Organs, tissues, or cells that produce a response when stimulated by a signal from a control center

Equilibrium

A condition in which all competing influences are balanced

Feedback

A response within a system that affects the productivity of that system by amplifying or diminishing its end product

Feedback Mechanism

A system of receptors, control centers, and effectors that maintain homeostasis by sensing, evaluating, and adjusting the body's internal conditions

Gene Expression

The process by which genetic information generates a specific protein or trait

Homeostasis

The tendency for a system, such as a cell, to maintain relatively constant internal conditions

Hormone

A chemical substance secreted by endocrine glands into the bloodstream that controls or regulates specific physiological processes

Hypothalamus

The portion of the brain below the thalamus and above the brain stem; controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms, among other things

Internal Equilibrium

A characteristic of a system with a receptor that monitors conditions and sends information to a control center that in turn sends signals to an effector to produce a response that maintains homeostasis

Multicellular

Composed of more than one cell

Negative Feedback

A control mechanism in which a change in the body triggers a response that counteracts the change

Organism

A single, self-contained entity that performs all of the basic functions of life

Pathogen

A virus, bacterium, or other organism that causes an infectious disease

Positive Feedback

A control mechanism where the response amplifies or reinforces the stimulus

Receptors

Sensory nerve endings that detect a stimulus

Stimuli

Things that prompt a response or action