Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Biology

Key Concepts in Health and Medicine

Fundamental Definitions

• Medicine: The social institution responsible for treating disease and restoring or improving the health of a population.
• Health: A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
• Disease: Usually defined as a structural or physiological dysfunction.
• Illness: The social and cultural response to a disease.

Vital Signs: Indicators of Health

Physiological parameters that inform us of our state of health or the evolution of a disease:

• Body Temperature: The balance between the heat produced by our body from metabolism and the heat it loses.
• Heart Rate: The number of heartbeats in one minute.
• Breathing Rate: The number of breathing cycles (inhale-exhale) in one minute.
• Blood Pressure: The

The Endocrine System

Hypothalamus: Produces releasing hormones, which control the activity of the pituitary gland.

Pineal Gland: Controls the daily sleep-wake cycle and produces melatonin.

Pituitary Gland: Directs the activity of other endocrine glands with a variety of hormones.

• Gonadotropic Hormones: Act on the sex organs.
• Oxytocin: Stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth.
• Growth Hormones: Control the elongation of bones.

Thyroid Gland: Regulates the body's overall metabolism with thyroxine. Produces calcitonin, which increases blood calcium levels.

Adrenal Glands: Regulate metabolism with cortisol, regulate kidney function with aldosterone, and prepare the organism for high-stress situations with adrenaline.

Pancreatic Islets: Control blood... Continue reading "The Endocrine and Nervous Systems: A Comprehensive Overview" »

Essential Nutrients for Adolescents

Fruit and Vegetables

These are essential every day. Fruit juice, for example, rich in vitamin C, contributes to preventing reduced defenses at a time of change like adolescence.

Dairy

Daily consumption of dairy products promotes growth and provides the calcium you need to properly feed your skeleton.

Fish and Seafood

Oily fish (Tuna, sardines, salmon, and mackerel) is especially recommended because it provides high concentrations of vitamins A and D, much needed during periods of growth. Squid, cuttlefish, and mussels are also high in RD.

Proteins

Are vital for building strong muscles and also for proper brain function. If you do not eat enough protein, your intellectual ability will be diminished. Do not forget... Continue reading "Essential Nutrients for Adolescents: A Comprehensive Guide" »

Human Reproduction Process

Sexual Reproduction Fundamentals

Human reproduction is a form of sexual reproduction. This process involves two gametes (reproductive cells) from different sexes joining together to produce a zygote, which then develops into a new individual.

Gametes, Gonads, and Biological Sex

Gametes are formed in the reproductive organs, known as gonads, which are part of the reproductive system.

• Male Gonads (Testes): Produce spermatozoa (sperm).
• Female Gonads (Ovaries): Produce ova (eggs).

Sex refers to the biological condition determined by an individual's gonads.

Defining Sex and Sexuality

Sexuality is a broader concept that includes biological sex, as well as emotions, feelings, and sex-related experiences. These aspects are not always... Continue reading "Human Reproduction: Development and Male System" »

Impulse Transmission in the Nervous System

Impulse / nervous system: The stimulus is received and a depolarization takes place in the neuron membrane. The impulse travels along the axon; many axons are insulated by a substance called myelin. When the impulse arrives at the end of the axon it has to cross a gap called the synaptic cleft. Synaptic vesicles fuse with the membrane and release neurotransmitters, which pass to the dendrite of the next neuron. The message then goes to the nervous system and finally to the effectors.

Protection of the Central Nervous System

Protection of the CNS: The brain and the spinal cord are surrounded by three membranes called the meninges and by a liquid called the cerebrospinal fluid (líquido encefalorraquídeo)... Continue reading "Nervous System Function, Neuron Structure & Sense Organs" »

Infectious Disease

is caused by agents that have invaded the body

Pathogen

any agent that causes disease

Koch Postulates

rules for determining the cause of a disease

Mucous Membrane

epithelial tissue that protects the inferior surface of the body that might be exposed to pathogens

Inflammatory Response

events that suppress infection and speed recovery

Histamine

substance that increases the permeability of surrounding capillaries

Phagocytes

type of white blood cell that pass through capillary walls, ingest and destroy foreign matter

Neutrophil

type of phagocyte that squeeze through capillary walls

Macrophage

type of phagocyte that engulfs pathogens and cellular debris

Natural Killer Cells

large white blood cells that attack pathogen-infected cells

Complement System

proteins... Continue reading "Understanding Infectious Diseases and the Immune System" »

Fundamental Biological Processes

What is Germination?

Germination is the process of seeds developing into new plants.

What is Growth?

An increase in the size of an organism or part of an organism, usually as a result of an increase in the number of cells.

What is Respiration?

The transfer of oxygen from the outside environment to cells within tissues, as well as the removal of carbon dioxide in the opposite way.

What is Photosynthesis?

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.

What is Interdependence?

Organisms depend on each other for survival. This is called interdependence.... Continue reading "Fundamental Biological Processes and Cell Structure" »

Plant Nutrition

Photosynthesis: The process by which plants manufacture carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light.

Key Aspects of Photosynthesis and Respiration

• Chlorophyll: Transfers light energy into chemical energy stored in molecules, essential for the synthesis of carbohydrates.
• Carbohydrate Use and Storage: Aside from using complex carbohydrates to create the plant's structure, plants store carbohydrates or use them for energy to grow.
• Respiration: To utilize stored carbohydrates, plants take the glucose formed during photosynthesis and combine the carbohydrate with oxygen—a process called respiration—to release energy.
• Role of Chlorophyll and CO₂: Chlorophyll is required because it helps absorb the light needed for photosynthesis.

Understanding Inheritance and Continuous Variation

This type of inheritance refers to continuous characteristics regulated by genes that are inherited independently.

Sometimes, continuous variation does not only depend on one quantitative inheritance but also on the influence environmental factors have on the genotype. The height and weight of a population are classic examples of continuous characteristics that are affected by environmental factors.

Mendel's Laws of Inheritance

Mendel's First Law: Law of Uniformity

When two pure-bred individuals are crossed, all offspring of the first filial generation (F1) have the same genotype and phenotype.

Mendel's Second Law: Law of Segregation

When two individuals from the first filial generation are crossed,... Continue reading "Understanding Inheritance, Cell Theory, and the Origin of Life" »