Chapter 2 Homeostasis In Organisms

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AIDS

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a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy

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allergy

Back 2

a damaging immune response by the body to a substance, especially pollen, fur, a particular food, or dust, to which it has become hypersensitive.

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antibiotics

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a medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.

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antibodies

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a blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen. Antibodies combine chemically with substances that the body recognizes as alien, such as bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances in the blood.

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antigen

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a toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies

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ATP

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a compound tat stores energy in cells

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bacteria

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any one of many single celled organism without a distinct nucleus

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biochemical processes

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Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. By controlling information flow through biochemical signaling and the flow of chemical energy through metabolism, biochemical processes give rise to the complexity of life.

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catalyst

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a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

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cellular respiration

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Cellular respiration is the set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products.

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chloroplast

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(in green plant cells) a plastid that contains chlorophyll and in which photosynthesis takes place.

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disease

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a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.

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dynamic equillibrium

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a state of balance between continuing processes.

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enzyme

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a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.

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feedback mechanism

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Feedback Mechanisms. Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal state within an organism. Homeostasis is also known as steady state. Organisms must respond and maintain homeostasis in relation to many factors.

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fungi

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A fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms.

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gas exchange

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Gas exchange is the delivery of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream, and the elimination of carbon dioxide from the bloodstream to the lungs. It occurs in the lungs between the alveoli and a network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries, which are located in the walls of the alveoli.

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glucose

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a simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates.

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guard cells

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each of a pair of curved cells that surround a stoma, becoming larger or smaller according to the pressure within the cells.

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homeostasis

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the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes

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immune system

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The immune system is the body's defense against infectious organisms and other invaders. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system attacks organisms and substances that invade our systems and cause disease.

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insulin

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a hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. The lack of insulin causes a form of diabetes.

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microbe

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a microorganism, especially a bacterium causing disease or fermentation.

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mitochondria

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an organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur. It has a double membrane, the inner layer being folded inward to form layers (cristae).

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pancreas

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a large gland behind the stomach that secretes digestive enzymes into the duodenum. Embedded in the pancreas are the islets of Langerhans, which secrete into the blood the hormones insulin and glucagon.

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parasite

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an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense

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pathogen

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a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

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pH

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a figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acid, and higher values more alkaline. The pH is equal to -log10 c, where c is the hydrogen ion concentration in moles per liter

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photosinthesis

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the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.

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respiration

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a process in living organisms involving the production of energy, typically with the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide from the oxidation of complex organic substances.

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stimuli

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a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue

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synthesis

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the production of chemical compounds by reaction from simpler materials.

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vaccine

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a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.

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virus

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an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.