Homeostasis, Anatomy & Physiology, and Levels of Organization (Vocabulary)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to homeostasis, anatomy & physiology, and the levels of structural organization as described in the lecture notes.

Homeostasis

The physiological process that maintains a constant internal environment by using homeostatic control systems to sense changes and adjust body functions.

Homeostatic control systems

Systems that constantly monitor the internal environment and make adjustments to keep variables near predefined set points.

Set point

The desired value of a physiological parameter that homeostasis aims to maintain.

Stimulus

A change in the internal or external environment that triggers a response (e.g., rise in blood glucose).

Receptor

Cells that detect a stimulus and generate a signal; for example, insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas detect high blood glucose.

Response

The action taken to restore homeostasis by adjusting the affected variable.

Controller

The component that processes the receptor signal and directs the appropriate response (control center).

Effector

The organ or tissue that carries out the response to restore homeostasis (e.g., liver and muscle in glucose regulation).

Negative feedback

A regulatory mechanism in which the response counteracts the stimulus, moving the system toward the set point and often shutting off the loop.

Positive feedback

A regulatory mechanism in which the response amplifies the stimulus, pushing the system away from the set point; rare in homeostasis and usually accelerates a process.

Insulin

A hormone released by the pancreas that promotes glucose uptake by cells, lowering blood glucose levels.

Pancreas

An organ containing insulin-secreting cells that respond to rising blood glucose by releasing insulin.

Glucose

Blood sugar; elevated levels trigger insulin release and uptake by cells to restore normal levels.

Liver

A primary target organ for insulin signaling; takes up glucose and stores or uses it for energy.

Muscle (as an insulin target)

A tissue that takes up glucose in response to insulin and stores or uses it for energy.

Anatomy

The study of the structure of body parts and their relationship to one another.

Physiology

The study of the function of body parts and how they carry out life-sustaining activities.

Levels of Organization

The hierarchical organization from chemical to organism, including chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, and organism levels.