BMSC 207 Midterm (Modules 1 - 6) Practice Questions with Correct Answers

What is physiology? - the study of the normal functioning of a living organism and its component parts, including chemical and physical processes - "knowledge of nature" What are emergent properties? properties of a complex system that cannot be explained by a knowledge of a systems individual components What do emergent properties result from? from complex, nonlinear interactions of the systems different components What are some examples of emergent properties? - emotion or intelligence in humans cannot be predicted from knowing the individual properties of nerve cells - the human genome project (pg 2 in textbokk) What are the levels of organization? Chemistry, Molecular biology, Cell Biology, Physiology, Ecology What are cells? smallest unit of structure capable of carrying out life processes What are tissues? Collection of cells carrying out related functions what are organs? formation of tissues into a structural and functional unit What are organ systems? integrated groups of organs What is the function or "why" approach? - teleological approach that looks at the function and adaptive significance of a physiological event What is the mechanism or "how" approach? - considered a mechanism approach - how a process occurs does Physiology focus on mechanism or teleological approach? mechanism what is homeostasis? the ability to maintain and relatively stable internal environment in spite of exposure to external variability