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Homeostasis
Study how nervous and chemical responses maintain stable internal conditions needed for cells, enzymes and body systems to function effectively.
8
Objectives
10
Flashcards
10
Questions
90 min
Study time
AqaGcseBiologyHomeostasis and response
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What you need to know
8 objective pages available
Homeostasis8 objectives
- Define homeostasis as the regulation of internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function.
- Explain why maintaining optimum internal conditions is important for enzyme action and other cell functions.
- Describe blood glucose concentration, body temperature and water levels as key internal conditions controlled by homeostasis.
- Explain that automatic control systems may involve nervous responses or chemical responses.
- Identify receptors as cells or organs that detect stimuli and monitor internal or external changes.
- Identify coordination centres, including the brain, spinal cord and pancreas, as structures that receive and process information from receptors.
- Identify effectors, including muscles and glands, as structures that bring about responses to restore optimum levels.
- Explain how receptors, coordination centres and effectors work together to maintain internal conditions.
Key terms
homeostasisinternal conditionsoptimum conditionsenzyme actionblood glucose concentrationbody temperaturenervous responseschemical responsesreceptorsstimulicoordination centreseffectors
Exam tips
- Understand Homeostasis Definition: Remember to clearly define homeostasis in your own words, focusing on the regulation of internal conditions. Link your answer to Homeostasis in Homeostasis, and keep the biology specific to homeostasis.
- Understand Enzyme Function: Focus on how changes in internal conditions affect enzyme activity, and practice explaining this relationship.
Common mistakes
- Misunderstanding Homeostasis Definition: Focus on the key elements of the definition: homeostasis is the regulation of internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function. Include examples of what these internal conditions might be.
- Misunderstanding the Importance of Internal Conditions: To fix this, students should focus on the relationship between specific internal conditions (like temperature and pH) and enzyme activity, emphasizing that enzymes have optimal conditions under which they function best.
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