BIO QUIZ 7: Chapter 28

Anatomy

The study of the structure and physical parts of an organism.

Physiology

The study of how an organism and its body parts function.

Evolution of body plans

Structural traits (anatomy) and functional traits (physiology) evolve together.

Form and function

The shape and structure of a body part are related to the job it performs.

Architectural constraints

Existing body structures limit how new structures can evolve.

Four-limbed body plan

The ancestors of modern land vertebrates had four limbs; bird and bat wings evolved through modifications of existing forelimbs.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment within an organism.

Sensory receptor

A structure that responds to a specific stimulus, such as temperature or light.

Stimulus

A change in the internal or external environment that triggers a response.

Negative feedback mechanism

A process in which a change causes a response that reverses or counteracts the original change.

Thermoregulation

The regulation of body temperature through processes that produce, conserve, or release heat

Hypothalamus

A region of the brain that acts as the body's temperature-regulating control center

Set point

The target value that the body attempts to maintain, such as its normal core temperature.

Sweating

A cooling response that releases sweat onto the skin; evaporation removes heat.

Shivering

Involuntary muscle contractions that generate heat when the body is cold.

Metabolic heat

Heat generated by the body's chemical reactions and energy use

Thermoneutral environment

An environment in which the body does not need to expend additional energy to maintain its core temperature.

Heat dissipation

The release of heat from the body into the surrounding environment.

Totipotent

Having the potential to develop into all possible cell types and give rise to an entire organism

Regeneration

The ability to replace or regrow body parts or tissues lost through injury.

Invertebrates

Animals without backbones; some have a particularly strong ability to regenerate body parts.

Sea star regeneration

Some sea stars can regrow an entire body from one arm and a portion of the central disk

Stem cells

Undifferentiated cells that can divide and develop into specialized cell types.

Stem-cell potency

The number of different cell types or developmental fates a stem cell can become.

Pluripotent

Able to develop into many different cell types in the body.

Unipotent

Able to develop into only one specific cell type.

Embryonic stem cells

Pluripotent cells that can develop into many types of cells in the human body.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)

Stem cells created in a laboratory that function similarly to embryonic stem cells.

Specialized stem-cell populations

More restricted stem cells that continually replace certain tissues, such as skin and blood.

Cell differentiation

The process through which a cell develops specialized structures and functions.