Homeostasis
Coordination in a multicellular organism
Coordination is the way all the organs and system of the body are made to work efficiently together
Cells of multicellular organisms cannot survive independently.
They depend on each other and work together
This requires organisation, coordination and control
Multicellular organisms contain systems contain organs contain tissues contain cells
Homeostasis
Your body systems need to work together so that a comfortable stable environment (temperature, pH, concentration of ions etc) for the cells is maintained
This is achieved through homeostasis
homeostasis - maintenance of the constant internal environment
To stay alive and well, the body needs to be able to detect change in the internal and external environment, and respond ina an appropriate way
Without homeostais we would:
Run out of useable energy
starve
swell up and have our cells burst
dehydrate
suffocate
THe coordinatino of our body systems is integral to homeostasis and homeostasis is essential for life
The stimulus response model
To achieve homeostasis (balance), the body needs to respond to changes within the body’s internal and external environment
these are detected by receptors within a body and if a response is required then action are bought about by effectors to bring the body back to equilibrium
this process can be explained via a stimulus response model
Stimulus
A stimulus is any change in the internal or external environment
Internal stimulus | External stimulus |
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Receptor
Receptor: special type of nerve cells that may be located in sense organs. Different type of receptors respond to particular stimuli
Receptors identify changes inside and outside your body
Type or receptor | Stimuli that it responds to | Where? |
Mechanoreceptor | Pressure and sound | skin, ear |
Chemoreceptor | CHemicals | tongue, nose, internal (like blood vessels) |
Thermoreceptors | Temperature | skin |
Photoreceptors | Light | eyes |
Control centre
Control centre: specialised cells that are locating within the brain and spinal cord
It receives, processes the information from the receptor, then determines an appropriate response that is sent to the effector
Effector
Effector: a Muscle or gland that receifes the message from the central nervous system to respond in a particular way
Their response depends on the original stimulus
Homeostasis and feedback
Types of feedback
Negative feedback
Most common
Aims to reduce the stimulus
Homeostasis is achieved by negative feedback loops
Receptors detect a change in the internal enviornment and effectors work to revers the direction of the change to achieve equilibrium
Starts at a anormal range, goes beyond normal rand and then returns to normal
e.g: glucose regulation, temperature regulation, blood pressure and blood pH
Positive feedback
Uncommon
Aims to INCREASE the stimulus (take away from homeostasis)
e.g: child birth
The NErvous system
The nervous system: A complex, highly organised network os specialised cells that enables the brain to receive information about what is going on from both inside and outside the body and to respond appropriately
The nervous system controls how you sense, feel, think and do
This also includes your involuntary responses such as breathing, heart rate, feeling “butterflies“ in your stomach
3 main function
Receive information
Process information
Coordinate a response to information
Central VS Peripheral Nervous System
THe nervous system is compesed of
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
These systems are both made up of nerve cells called neurones
THe brain
THe brain is an intricate network of cells
also known as the control centre
Processes sensory information receive from the body and respond by controlling all bodily functions and actions
Responsible for virtually everything we, think and feel
The spinal cord
THe spinal cord is a long, thin bundle of nerve tissue that extends from the base of the brian to the lower back
Receives sensory information from the body (ie. the peripheral nervous system) and send these to the brna from processing
Receives motor information from the brain and send it to relevant parts of the body to control muscles, glands and internal organs so that appropriate actions can be taken
Damaged SPinal Cord
When the spinal cord is injured, the brain loses both sensory input from and control over the body
The higher up on the spine the injury is, the greater the number of nerve connections between the brain and the body that are being severed
Neurone
Neurone: indivuidual nerve cells
Building blocks of the brian and nervous system
All neurones have 3 basic functions
receive information
Process information (to determine whether or not the information should be passied along)
Communicate information to target cells (toerh neurones or muscles or glands)
Tyoes of nuerones
Neurones have sepcialised functions and vary in shape and size. Three types of nuerones
sensory neurone
Speicalise in sending sensoryin information to the cns
Motor neurone
Specialise in sending motor information from the cns
Interneurone
serve as communication links between neurones
Soma
also known as the cell body
Nuclues of the neurone is found in the soma
Controls the cell functions and produces proteins of the cell
Appendages or potrusions that extend from the cell body are known as processes. two types of processes:
dendrites
axons
Dendrites
Longer processes extending from the cell body
Specialised to transmit action potentials (ie neural information)
Towards the end, the axon spilts into many branches known as axon terminals
THese axon terminals make connections to target cells
Myelin Sheath
Made of fat and protein - act like unculation on electrical wire
helps speed up transmittion of nerve impulse down a long axon and protects the neurones
Not found on denderites, only on axons
Myelinated neurones are typically found in the perioheral nerves (sensory and motor neurones), while non-myelinated neurones are found in the braina and spinal cord
Myelin sheaths - produced by Schwann cells
Nodes of Ranvier - gaps in the myelin sheath
Summary of all the parts
Parts of the neurone | Functions |
Denderites | Receive signals from other neurones/other cells |
Cell body (soma) | where the nucleus lies and where proteins are made |
Axon | Long thin structure where action potentials are generated. THe transmitting part of the neurone |
Nucleus | The control centre for the cell |
Myelin Sheath | insulator-like substance that coats the axon. It helps up the rate at which impulses are conducted and helps to protect the nerve |
Multiples Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis: an autoimmune disease, where the body mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord
It does this by damaging myelin - the protective coating around the nerves. When myelin is damaged, messages can no longer be clearly transmitted from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body
Symptoms include:
Problems with motor (muscle) control
Visual problems
Problems with coordination and memory loss
The axons of neurones group together to form nerves
Sensory neurones
Also known as afferent neurones
Carry impulses from sense organs to spinal cord and brain (CNS)
Receives message about a change in the external or internal environment and transmits the information to the interneurone in the CNS
Interneurone
Located ONLY IN THE CNS and carry signal from a sensory neurone to a motor neurone
Connect sensory and motor neurones
Processes impulses in the brain and spinal cord
Reflex
Some actions need to be carried out very quickly - as a matter of survival
The message does not have to go to the brain
This type of pathway, which involves only a few neurones and travels only to and from the spinal cord, is called a reflex arc
Communication between Neurones
Once the information has reached the axon terminals of the neurone, the message has to be relayed to an adjacent neurone
This relay of information is in the form of chemical transmission at the synapse
When the nerve impulse reaches the axon terminals, tiny vesicles containing chemicals called neurotransmitters are transported to the cell membrane of the neurone
These chemicals are then released into the synapse
The neurotransmitters move across the synapse and bind to receptors on the membrane of the dendrites of the next neurone
this may result in triggering the receiving neurone to convert the message into a nerve impulse and conduct it along its length
Piecing it Together
Your nervous system involves the use of both electrical signals and chemical signals
Learning and memory
Learning: Gaining/acquiring new knowledge of skills
Memory: The expression of what you have acquired, ie retaining and retrieving that knowledge/skill
The existence of memory is evidence that leaning has occurred
If no learning occurs there is nothing ro remembers
Leaving would have no value if we could not remember - we usually learn with the understanding that at some future time, we will be able to recall what we have learned
Learning the acquisition of new knowledge or skills through study, experience or being taught
Memory
memory is an internal record of prior experience
Memory is the processing, storage and retrieval of information acquired thorough learning
Memory in not a single thing or precess lovated in one specific area of the brain
We do not have a memory - we have multipls memory systems
Fundamental processes of memory
Psychologists have devised a number of models to describe and explain human memory
Despite differences in all the models, all models can be simplified to involve three fundamental processes
Boxes represent components
arrows represent movement of information
All 3 stages of memory occur as a sequence
They interact and are interdependent
Fundamental processes of memory
A simplified representation of the 3 fundamental processes required for human memory
If any of these processes fails, memory will fail
Encoding: Information is converted for storage
Storage: Information is retained in memory
Retrieval: Information is recovered from memory when needed
This is the Atkinson - Shiffrin Model
Chunking
Chunking is a term referring to the process of taking individual pieces of information (chunks) and grouping them into larger units
Give some examples where chunking is commonly used to help us remember things in everyday life
Human working memory has a capacity 7 (+/- 2) items 0. chunking allows us to hold more information and thus increase our capacity
Extra info:
What is Homeostasis?
The internal environment in which your cells are bath in to be kept constant.
Variable that need to be maintained within set limits include:
Temperature
pH
Blood glucose levels
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Homeostasis: The maintenance by an organism of a constant internal environment
Detecting stimuli
Stimulus: The trigger that leads to a response
Receptors: cells which detect a change
Detecting changes in our environment requires the use of our sense organs
Receptors in the skin
Stimulus: Pressure and temperature
Receptors: mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors
Mechanoreceptors: A specialised sensory cell that detects physical touch, pressure, stretching, or other mechanical stimuli, essentially acting as a "touch sensor" in the body, sending signals to the nervous system when it experiences these physical forces; like feeling something on your skin or sensing muscle tension.
Thermoreceptors: Specialised parts of neurones, or nerve cell endings, that give the body the ability to detect changes in temperature. these kick in when the body temp above 37.5 or below 35.8
Pain receptors
The Nervous System
Human nervous system
Communication system that controls all parts of your body
There are 2 main parts
Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system
Brain and spinal cord
Receives information from all over the body
Processes all information
Sends messages telling the body how to respond
Think of it as the central pentagon
Peripheral Nervous Sysytem
Made up of nerves that carry messages to and from the central nervous system and other parts of you body
It also regulates involuntary bodily functions
think of it as a messenger going on, on the side
Stimulus response model
Reflex Action
When you touch something very hot or sharp you automatically pull your hand away
This reaction is called a reflex action
Reflex actions are:
Involuntary
Very fast
Where the message travels to the spinal cord and back
Protects you from danger
Synapse: The place where neurones (information messengers) connect and communicate with each other
Neurons
The nervous system is made up of trillions or neurones (nerve cells)
They carry electrical messages (nerve impulses)
Nerve Impulses
Nerve impulses are very high speed
The message travels one direction
They travel in response to a stimulus a serve to transmit a record of sensations from the receptor or an instruction to act as an effector
A nerve is made up of a large number of neurones, each neurone is surrounded by a myelin sheath
Parts of the neurone
Axon: Carries nerve impulses away from the cell body
Dendrites: highly branched to ‘catch‘ and carry messages into cell body
Myelin sheath: fatty material that provides insulation and protection to axon and speeds up nerve impulses
Node of Ranvier: Gaps in the myelins sheath where impulses can ‘jump‘ from node to node.
Schwann cell: forms myelin sheath
Neurilemma: Helps repair injured fibres
Axon terminals/motor end plate: stores and transmits neurotransmitters
Synapse
When an impulse reaches the axon terminal a chemical called neurotransmitter is release into the synapse (gap between neurones or neurone and effector)
A neurotransmitter is a signalling molecule released from the axon terminals into the synapse between nerve cells (neurones)
Dendrites receive message
Bring into the cell body. It travels down the axon and reaches axon terminals
Chemicals called neurotransmitters are released
It crosses the synapse (space between 2 neurones)
The neurotransmitters attach to receptors on the dendrites of the neurone
The message is passed on
3 types of Neurones
Motor neurone: Carry messages FROM central nervous system to effectors (muscles and glands) (motor to the muscles/glands to tell them what to do)
Sensory neurone: Carry messages TO the central nervous system from sense organs (sense whats going on and say something)
Connector neurone/Interneurone: Link between sensory and motor neurones (found a lot in the spinal cord)
The longest neurone in your body extends from your big toe to the middle of your spine - almost a metre long
Reflex responses
Rapid and unconscious (involuntary) nervous response
Message does not go all the way to brain first
Will go to closest point on the central nervous system - spinal cord
Allows you to response before detecting the pain
Very simple pathway
Protects you from danger
The Brain
The human brain
approximately 75% water
approximately 100 billion nerve cells
Volume: 1200 - 1400ml
Highly convulted (folds and creases) which means it has a greater surface area
Parts of the brain
Cerebrum: conscious thought, voluntary movement, thinking, learning, memory, decision-making, perception of the senses
Cerebellum: fine coordination of muscle movement and the control of posture and balance
Medulla Oblongata: Heart rate breathing rate and diameter of blood vessels.
Hypothalamus: Body temperature, sleep patterns, heart rate, food and water intake
Internal environment
Complex organisms control internal environment within narrow ranges, including
Body temperature
Levels of chemical in the blood and tissues (e.g. glucose, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and ions)
Blood volume
Blood pressure