Unit 4: Homeostasis

1. feedback mechanismstimulus, receptor, relay, control centre, effector, response

2. endocrine systemand nervous system

3. Hormones
4. nephron structures and functions

5. Steps of formation of urine

6. brain structures and functions

7.
 8. neuron structures and functions; action potential (nerve impulse); synapse

9. Whats the difference between a receptor and a synapse; motor neuron and sensory neuron; positive and
negative feedback; hormones and enzymes; negative feedback and enzyme inhibition?

10. What moves across the neuron during a nerve impulse?

.
11. What is the control centre responsible for in homeostasis, and how exactly does it work?

12. Describe the relationship between insulin and glucagons with respect to blood sugar in the body.
13. Give a real life example (not in the human body) of negative feedback, and identify the different steps
throughout it. (receptor control centre etc)

14. How do the body balance water levels that are secreted? (ie. hormones used, organs used)

15. Describe urinary diseases and how they can be treated.

16. Describe how homeostasis would be affected if the body were to undergo each of these changes:
 17. Describe the disorders that could arise in each of the above situations.

18. Explain and give an example of 2 hormones that have opposite functions that keep your body levels normal.

Homeostasis and Feedback Loops:

1. Explain what homeostasis is and why it is important to the body.
 2. What is the role of the NERVOUS SYSTEM, ENDOCRINE SYSTEM and the EXCRETORY SYSTEM in maintaining
homeostasis?

3. What is the function of a negative feedback loop? Positive feedback loop? What is the key difference between
the two.
4. Be able to draw and understand a feedback loop for mammalian thermoregulation.
5. Be able to explain and draw a negative feedback loop for epinephrine, cortisol, estrogen/progesterone,
testosterone, thyroxine.

6. Give two examples of positive feedback systems in the body.

Nervous System:
7. Draw a branching diagram showing how the nervous system is organized.
8. What are the two main types of cells in the nervous system?
9. Know the labels and functions of each of the parts identified in the diagram below;
11. Be able to describe in detail the processes that are occurring in a neuron when an action potential travels along
the cell. (Key terms: resting membrane, polarization, threshold level, depolarization, hyperpolarization, repolarization,
refractory period)
12. What is neuroplasticity and how does it affect your ability to learn.

is the ability of the brain to modify its connections or re-wire itself. Without this ability, any
brain, not just the human brain, would be unable to develop from infancy through to adulthood
or recover from brain injury.

13. What makes the brain special is that, unlike a computer, it processes sensory and motor signals
in parallel. It has many neural pathways that can replicate anothers function so that small errors in
development or temporary loss of function through damage can be easily corrected by rerouting
signals along a different pathway.

Be able to name, label and state the function of the parts of a nephron.
 Diagrams? (Your guess is as good as mine!)
From cellular respiration and photosynthesis
Functional groups
Enzymes
Nucleic acids
Mitochondrion
Chloroplast
Lac or trp operon
Replication fork
Protein synthesis (translation)
Kidney
Nephron
Brain
Neuron
Synapse