Homeostasis
What is homeostasis?
Maintaining a stable internal environment in the body.
What is an epidemic?
An epidemic is an outbreak of a disease that affects many people in a community or region at the same time.
What is the main function of the nervous system?
To detect and respond to stimuli quickly, coordinating body actions.
What is an infectious disease?
A disease caused by organisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites) that can be spread from person to person.
What is a non-infectious disease?
A disease not caused by pathogens and not spread from person to person.
Name two internal conditions the body keeps stable through homeostasis.
Examples: body temperature, blood glucose, water balance, pH.
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is an epidemic that spreads across countries or continents and affects a large number of people worldwide.
Name one hormone produced by the adrenal glands and its effect on the body.
Adrenaline; it increases heart rate and prepares the body for "fight or flight" in stressful situations.
Give one example of how infectious diseases can be transmitted from one person to another.
Through coughing or sneezing (airborne spread), such as with influenza.
Name one example of a non-infectious disease.
Examples: Diabetes, asthma, cancer.
What happens to body temperature during exercise, and how does the body respond?
It rises; the body responds by sweating and increasing blood flow to the skin to cool down.
What does it mean when a disease is endemic in a region?
It means the disease is constantly present in that area or population at predictable rates.
What is the difference between a nerve impulse and a hormone signal?
Nerve impulses are fast electrical signals; hormone signals are slower, carried in the blood.
Name two ways you can reduce your risk of contracting an infectious disease.
Practicing good hygiene (hand washing), getting vaccinated, using protective equipment, or avoiding contact with sick individuals.
List two main causes of non-infectious diseases.
Environmental, Nutritional, Genetic, Poor body functioning, Lifestyle
Explain the role of negative feedback in homeostasis.
Negative feedback detects changes and triggers responses to bring conditions back to normal.
Give an example of a disease that is currently endemic in a specific part of the world.
Malaria is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Nerve impulses are fast electrical signals; hormone signals are slower, carried in the blood.
The nervous system detects changes and can trigger hormone release (e.g., hypothalamus tells pituitary gland to release hormones), which regulate body functions.
Explain how the immune system responds to a vaccine.
The immune system produces antibodies and memory cells against the pathogen’s antigens, providing future protection.
How can lifestyle choices affect your risk of developing some non-infectious diseases?
Diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and stress can increase risk for diseases like heart disease or diabetes.
Describe how homeostasis could be disrupted by illness or extreme environment.
Illness or extreme conditions (e.g. dehydration, heat, infection) can overwhelm regulatory systems, causing internal imbalances like fever, low blood pressure, or altered blood glucose.
Explain the differences between epidemic, pandemic, and endemic using an example for each.
Epidemic: Influenza outbreak in a city
Pandemic: COVID-19 spreading globally
Endemic: Chickenpox regularly occurring in school-age children within a community.
Describe the pathway from detecting a sudden loud noise to your body’s hormonal response.
Ears detect noise (nervous system), brain processes and triggers adrenal glands (endocrine system) to release adrenaline, preparing the body for action.
Explain how vaccines help prevent epidemics and pandemics.
Vaccines prevent the spread of disease by making individuals immune; widespread immunity stops outbreaks from becoming epidemics or pandemics by breaking chains of transmission.
Discuss how environmental factors can lead to non-infectious diseases and give an example.
Exposure to pollution or harmful chemicals can cause diseases like asthma or cancer; for example, long-term exposure to cigarette smoke increases risk of lung cancer.