PHYS 261-Human Physiology Mid Term Exam With
Latest Updated (Questions And Answers).
Physiology - ANSWER study of the normal functioning of a living organism and its
parts, including all its chemical and physical processes
Homeostasis - ANSWER The maintenance of a relatively constant internal
environment (variables include temp., pH, ion concentrations, oxygen, and water)
Teleological vs. Mechanistic approach - ANSWER Teleological approach- explains
WHY events happen
(adaptive significance)
Mechanistic approach- explains HOW events happen
(Process)
Placebo - ANSWER an inert treatment (drug/procedure) given. Any medical
procedure that produces an effect on a patient because of its therapeutic intent, and
not because of its specific nature.
Hypothesis - ANSWER logical guesses about how events take place
Cation - ANSWER Positively charged ions (ex: Na+)
Electrons - ANSWER Form covalent bonds
Create ions when gained or lost
Capture and store energy
Create free radicals
Essential vs. Nonessential amino acids: - ANSWER Essential amino acids are not
made by the human body and must be acquired by our diet.
Nonessential amino acids are synthesized by the human body.
pH scale - ANSWER The measure of a solution's hydrogen ion concentration. The
more acidic the solution the lower its pH (pH stands for "power of hydrogen")
Body Compartments i.e. intracellular, intercellular, extracellular - ANSWER
Intracellular: located or occurring WITHIN a cell
Dissolves cations and anions
Intercellular: located or occurring BETWEEN cells
Solutes and water travel between interstitial fluid and plasma through pores in
endothelial cells of capillaries
Extracellular: located or occurring OUTSIDE a cell
Include interstitial fluid and plasma
Both dissolve cations and anions
, Intracellular and extracellular ions, protein concentrations, etc. - ANSWER
Extracellular fluid: major cation is sodium and the major anion is chloride
Intracellular fluid: major cation is potassium
Rules of diffusion - ANSWER 1. There must be openings in the membrane and the
membrane must be semipermeable
2. The substance must fit through the opening
3. There must be an unequal amount of particles
Factors that affect the diffusion rate: temperature, size of diffusing atoms,
concentration gradient, and activation energy.
Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) - ANSWER Tay-Sachs disease is a human genetic
abnormality resulting in cells accumulating and clogging with very large, complex,
undigested lipids. They affect the lysosomes.
Rough ER - ANSWER the primary site of protein synthesis
Golgi Body/Golgi Apparatus - ANSWER packages proteins into vesicles
Cell membrane function - ANSWER acts as a barrier between the intracellular and
the extracellular fluids, provides structural support, and regulates exchange and
communication between the cell and its environment
Cell membrane proteins - ANSWER Help move molecules through the cell
membrane and take part in biological reactions
Cholesterol - ANSWER A lipid that forms an essential component of animal cell
membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for synthesizing other biologically
essential steroids.
Steps of protein synthesis - ANSWER 1. Transcription
2. Translation
3. Initiation
4. Elongation
5. Termination
1. Transcription (occurs in the cell's nucleus) - ANSWER The first stage of protein
synthesis. A segment of the DNA is copied into a molecule of RNA. During
transcription, a specific enzyme called RNA polymerase reads the DNA code and
creates a complementary RNA molecule.
The RNA polymerase binds to a specific region of the DNA called the promoter. (The
promoter is a specific sequence of nucleotides.) The promoter signals the location of
a gene that needs to be transcribed. Once RNA polymerase binds to the promoter, it
unwinds the double helix by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs.
This allows the two strands of the DNA to separate, exposing the genetic code so
that it can be read by the RNA polymerase.
RNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the DNA and converts it into RNA, which is
later modified into tRNA, mRNA, rRNA, and other RNAs. The mRNA moves to the
ribosomes in the cytoplasm for the synthesis of proteins.
Latest Updated (Questions And Answers).
Physiology - ANSWER study of the normal functioning of a living organism and its
parts, including all its chemical and physical processes
Homeostasis - ANSWER The maintenance of a relatively constant internal
environment (variables include temp., pH, ion concentrations, oxygen, and water)
Teleological vs. Mechanistic approach - ANSWER Teleological approach- explains
WHY events happen
(adaptive significance)
Mechanistic approach- explains HOW events happen
(Process)
Placebo - ANSWER an inert treatment (drug/procedure) given. Any medical
procedure that produces an effect on a patient because of its therapeutic intent, and
not because of its specific nature.
Hypothesis - ANSWER logical guesses about how events take place
Cation - ANSWER Positively charged ions (ex: Na+)
Electrons - ANSWER Form covalent bonds
Create ions when gained or lost
Capture and store energy
Create free radicals
Essential vs. Nonessential amino acids: - ANSWER Essential amino acids are not
made by the human body and must be acquired by our diet.
Nonessential amino acids are synthesized by the human body.
pH scale - ANSWER The measure of a solution's hydrogen ion concentration. The
more acidic the solution the lower its pH (pH stands for "power of hydrogen")
Body Compartments i.e. intracellular, intercellular, extracellular - ANSWER
Intracellular: located or occurring WITHIN a cell
Dissolves cations and anions
Intercellular: located or occurring BETWEEN cells
Solutes and water travel between interstitial fluid and plasma through pores in
endothelial cells of capillaries
Extracellular: located or occurring OUTSIDE a cell
Include interstitial fluid and plasma
Both dissolve cations and anions
, Intracellular and extracellular ions, protein concentrations, etc. - ANSWER
Extracellular fluid: major cation is sodium and the major anion is chloride
Intracellular fluid: major cation is potassium
Rules of diffusion - ANSWER 1. There must be openings in the membrane and the
membrane must be semipermeable
2. The substance must fit through the opening
3. There must be an unequal amount of particles
Factors that affect the diffusion rate: temperature, size of diffusing atoms,
concentration gradient, and activation energy.
Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) - ANSWER Tay-Sachs disease is a human genetic
abnormality resulting in cells accumulating and clogging with very large, complex,
undigested lipids. They affect the lysosomes.
Rough ER - ANSWER the primary site of protein synthesis
Golgi Body/Golgi Apparatus - ANSWER packages proteins into vesicles
Cell membrane function - ANSWER acts as a barrier between the intracellular and
the extracellular fluids, provides structural support, and regulates exchange and
communication between the cell and its environment
Cell membrane proteins - ANSWER Help move molecules through the cell
membrane and take part in biological reactions
Cholesterol - ANSWER A lipid that forms an essential component of animal cell
membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for synthesizing other biologically
essential steroids.
Steps of protein synthesis - ANSWER 1. Transcription
2. Translation
3. Initiation
4. Elongation
5. Termination
1. Transcription (occurs in the cell's nucleus) - ANSWER The first stage of protein
synthesis. A segment of the DNA is copied into a molecule of RNA. During
transcription, a specific enzyme called RNA polymerase reads the DNA code and
creates a complementary RNA molecule.
The RNA polymerase binds to a specific region of the DNA called the promoter. (The
promoter is a specific sequence of nucleotides.) The promoter signals the location of
a gene that needs to be transcribed. Once RNA polymerase binds to the promoter, it
unwinds the double helix by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs.
This allows the two strands of the DNA to separate, exposing the genetic code so
that it can be read by the RNA polymerase.
RNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the DNA and converts it into RNA, which is
later modified into tRNA, mRNA, rRNA, and other RNAs. The mRNA moves to the
ribosomes in the cytoplasm for the synthesis of proteins.
