Response and homeostasis official content key terms

Receptor

A specialized cell or protein that detects and responds to specific stimuli by converting them into electrical signals.

Effector

An organ or cell that acts in response to a stimulus, such as muscles or glands that carry out the response.

Receptor

A protein or cell that detects specific stimuli and initiates a response in an organism.

Effector

An organ or cell that acts in response to a stimulus, such as muscles or glands.

Stimulus

A detectable change in the internal or external environment that elicits a response from an organism.

Response

The action or change in behavior of an organism as a result of detecting a stimulus.

Receptor

A specialized cell or structure that detects changes in the environment and sends signals to the nervous system.

Effector

An organ or cell that acts in response to a stimulus, such as muscles or glands.

Transduction

The process by which sensory receptors convert a stimulus into an electrical signal.

Threshold potential

The minimum membrane potential that must be reached for an action potential to be generated.

Pacinian corpuscle

A type of mechanoreceptor that detects pressure and vibration.

Retinal photoreceptor

A cell in the retina that converts light into electrical signals, including rods and cones.

Depolarization

The process during which the membrane potential becomes less negative (more positive) due to the influx of sodium ions.

Repolarization

The process of restoring the membrane potential to its resting state after depolarization, primarily through the efflux of potassium ions.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another or to a muscle cell.

Synaptic cleft

The small gap between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes where neurotransmitters are released.

Myosin

A motor protein that interacts with actin filaments to produce muscle contraction.

Actin

A protein that forms thin filaments in muscle fibers and is involved in contraction.

Set point

The ideal value or range of a physiological variable that the body attempts to maintain through homeostatic mechanisms.

Effectors

Organs or cells that carry out responses to restore homeostasis, such as muscles or glands.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism despite changes in external conditions.

Glycogenolysis

The biochemical process of breaking down glycogen into glucose, primarily occurring in the liver.

Glucagon

A hormone produced by the alpha cells of the pancreas that raises blood glucose levels by promoting glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis.

Homeostasis

The process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to changing external conditions.

Osmoregulation

The process by which organisms regulate the water and electrolyte balance in their bodies to maintain homeostasis.

Nephron

The functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood and forming urine through processes of filtration, reabsorption, and secretion.

Osmoregulation

The process by which organisms regulate the water and electrolyte balance in their bodies to maintain homeostasis.

Aquaporins

Membrane proteins that form channels to facilitate the transport of water across cell membranes.