Year 11 - Science
The importance of maintaining constant conditions in the body, including osmosis
Coordination and control: maintaining a constant internal environment
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit covers the importance of maintaining a constant internal environment, focusing on body temperature control, osmotic balance, and kidney function. It explains the roles of the skin, kidneys, and ADH, and emphasises data extraction, experiment techniques, and accurate data interpretation.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why it is important for living organisms to maintain a constant internal environment.
Key Notes
- If conditions in the body change too much, this can be dangerous to our health.
- Changes in body temperature affect the rate of chemical reactions and can impact enzyme activity.
- Extreme changes in body temperature can lead to hypothermia or hyperthermia and death.
- Changes in water content of the fluid around cells can lead to cells shrinking or bursting due to osmosis.
- Use of antagonistic effects to maintain a constant environment.
Vocabulary To Learn
- enzyme: a protein which acts as a biological catalyst
- internal body temperature: the optimal internal temperature of our body, which is about 37°C
- homeostasis: the regulation of the internal conditions to maintain optimum conditions for enzyme action and all cell functions
- osmosis: the net movement of water molecules through a selectively-permeable membrane from high to low concentration of water molecules
- antagonistic: effectors and effects that work against each other
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- It is common for pupils to misunderstand the links between increased or decreased body temperature and the impact on enzyme function, and changes in water concentration and cell structure.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
If conditions in the body change too much, this can be dangerous to our health. Changes in body temperature affect the rate of chemical reactions and can impact enzyme activity.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'enzyme'
a protein which acts as a biological catalyst. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: It is common for pupils to misunderstand the links between increased or decreased body temperature and the impact on enzyme function, and changes in water concentration and cell structure. Correction: Explanations of the effect of temperature on enzyme activity, the link between body temperature and enzyme function, and conditions such as hyper- and hypo-thermia are made. The link between water balance, osmosis and cell shapes are also explored.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Controlling water balance: the kidneys, and nephron structure Study Guide
- Controlling water balance: the kidneys, and treating kidney failure Study Guide
- Controlling water balance: the kidneys, nephron structure and kidney failure Study Guide
- Effect of osmosis and sugar concentration on the mass of plant tissue: analysis Study Guide
- Effect of osmosis and sugar concentration on the mass of plant tissue: practical Study Guide
- The importance of maintaining constant conditions in the body Study Guide
- The role of the nervous system in thermoregulation Study Guide
- The role of the skin in thermoregulation Study Guide
- The roles of the nervous and endocrine systems in controlling water balance Study Guide
- Using a microscope to observe effects of osmosis in plant cells: practical Study Guide
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