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Appreciate that many complex chemical processes
take place in our cells and organs to ensure an optimum functional state.
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You should develop your
knowledge about how a constant internal environment is achieved in complex
living organisms such as ourselves.
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Check whether you did the ‘changing skin temperatures’ experiment
eg the changing skin temperature down an arm or a leg and the graph of the
results.
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Appreciate the use of thermal
blankets as a contemporary application of science, along with work on heat
stroke as examples the benefits of
technological developments.
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Appreciate some of the automatic control systems in
your life eg central heating, air
conditioning, cruise control in cars, incubators.
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Know that the body works
to maintain steady levels of temperature, water, and carbon dioxide and that
this is essential to life.
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Appreciate the use of thermal first aid blankets after activities such as marathons.
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Appreciate the dangers to older people
of hypothermia and telling them how to prevent
it.
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Know that the core temperature of the human body is normally maintained at
approximately 37°C.
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Be able to describe the appropriate procedures
to measure body temperature:
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a) where (ear, finger, mouth, or anus)
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b) how - using a clinical thermometer,
sensitive strips, digital recording probes, or thermal imaging.
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Be able to describe how heat can be gained
or retained (by respiration, shivering, exercise, less sweating, less blood
flow near skin surface, or clothing).
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Be able to describe how more heat can be
lost (by sweating, or more blood flow near skin).
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Know what diabetes is and
how it can be managed.
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Be able to name and locate the pancreas.
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Know that the pancreas produces the hormone insulin.
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Know that Type 1
diabetes is caused by the failure of the pancreas to produce insulin.
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Be able to describe
how insulin travels around the body.
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Understand that maintaining a constant
internal environment involves balancing bodily inputs and outputs and is
called homeostasis.
-
Be able to explain why factors are kept at steady levels by
automatic control systems (limited to temperature, water content and carbon
dioxide).
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HT only: Be able to explain how negative feedback mechanisms are used to maintain a
constant internal environment.
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Be able to explain how sweating
increases heat transfer to the environment by evaporation of sweat which
requires heat, so removing heat from the skin.
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HT only: Be able to explain how vasodilation and vasoconstriction
increase or decrease transfer of heat to the environment.
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Appreciate and understand that
the body temperature of 37°C is the optimum temperature for the action of
many enzymes.
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HT only: Understand that the body temperature of 37°C is linked to enzyme action.
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HT only: Be able to explain how blood temperature is
monitored by the brain which will bring about temperature control mechanisms via
the nervous and hormonal systems.
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Be able to describe how high temperatures
can cause heat stroke and dehydration and if untreated, death.
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Be able to describe how very
low temperatures can cause hypothermia and if untreated, death.
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Know that
insulin controls blood sugar levels.
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HT only: Be able to explain how insulin helps to regulate blood
sugar
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Be able to explain how Type 2 diabetes can often be controlled by diet but
that Type 1 diabetes also needs to be treated by insulin dosage.
-
HT only: Explain how the
dosage of insulin needed to be taken by a person with Type 1 diabetes
depends upon diet and activity.
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Be able to explain why responses
controlled by hormones are usually slower than responses controlled by the
nervous system..
