Body Regulation

What is homeostasis?

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in the body.

What is a stimulus?

A change in the internal or external environment that can be detected.

What is a receptor?

A cell, tissue or organ that detects a stimulus.

What is an effector?

A muscle or gland that carries out a response.

What is negative feedback?

A response that reduces a change and brings a condition back towards its normal range.

What is positive feedback?

A response that increases a change rather than reversing it.

What is the basic order of a feedback loop?

Stimulus → receptor → coordinating centre → effector → response.

What part of the brain controls body temperature?

The hypothalamus.

What happens when body temperature gets too high?

Sweating and blood vessel dilation help cool the body.

What happens when body temperature gets too low?

Shivering and blood vessel constriction help warm the body.

What is blood glucose?

The amount of glucose in the blood.

Which two hormones regulate blood glucose?

Insulin and glucagon.

What does insulin do?

It lowers blood glucose by helping glucose move from the blood into cells.

What does glucagon do?

It raises blood glucose by causing stored glycogen to be converted into glucose.

What are the two main parts of the nervous system?

The central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).

What makes up the CNS?

The brain and spinal cord.

What does the sensory division of the PNS do?

It carries information from receptors to the CNS.

What does the motor division of the PNS do?

It carries information from the CNS to effectors.

What is the endocrine system?

A system of glands that releases hormones into the bloodstream.

How do the nervous and endocrine systems help maintain homeostasis?

They communicate and coordinate responses that keep the body's internal conditions stable.