Physiology 101: Best Definition and Study Guide

Study Notes

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the ability of the body to maintain a constant internal environment despite changes in the external environment.
The main physiological variables for which the body attempts to maintain homeostasis are temperature, pH, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.

Anticipatory Responses

Anticipatory responses are neural responses that occur before a change in the internal environment, helping to maintain homeostasis by anticipating and preparing for changes.

Mechanisms of Homeostasis

The most common mechanism used to maintain homeostasis is negative feedback loops, which counteract changes in the internal environment.

Cell Membrane Proteins

Cell membrane proteins have various functions, including transport, signaling, and cell-cell recognition, but NOT generating energy for the cell.

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through a selectively permeable membrane.
Osmosis helps to equalize solute concentrations on both sides of the membrane.

Osmotic Pressure

Osmotic pressure is the pressure required to prevent water from flowing into a solution that is hypertonic to the surrounding fluid.

Tonicity

Tonicity refers to the ability of a solution to change the volume of a cell by altering the osmotic pressure.
Solutions can be classified as isotonic (equal solute concentration), hypotonic (lower solute concentration), or hypertonic (higher solute concentration).

Effects of Hypertonic Solutions

Hypertonic solutions cause cells to shrink due to water leaving the cell to equalize the osmotic pressure.

Description

Test your knowledge on the basics of physiology with this quiz! Learn about homeostasis, its key terms, and the main physiological variables that the body aims to maintain. Explore anticipatory responses and more in this informative quiz.