LGS A-Level OCR Biology - Excretion, Homeostasis, and the Liver
This deck covers key concepts from Unit 5 of A-Level OCR Biology, focusing on excretion, homeostasis, and liver functions. It includes detailed questions and answers on dialysis, kidney transplants, and various biological processes.
Peritoneal dialysis
Key Terms
Peritoneal dialysis
Kidney transplants
Long term (8-10 years); Works inside the body; Blood vessels are joined and the ureter of the new kidney inserted into the bladder; Tissue types sh...
Pros of kidney transplant
Long term; Free from dialysis and dietary monitoring; Healthy kidney
Cons of kidney transplant
Chance of rejection | Always has to take immunosuppressants
Pros of peritoneal dialysis
Can be done at home | Patients can live relatively normal lives
Cons of peritoneal dialysis
Needs to be done 4 times a day | High risk of infection
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Peritoneal dialysis | Short term Works inside of the body Abdomen has natural dialysis membrane - peritoneum Dialysis fluid introduced into abdomen using a catheter - takes place across peritoneum Urea and excess mineral ions diffuse out of the blood into tissue fluid and out of peritoneal into dialysate Fluid is then discarded leaving blood balanced |
Kidney transplants | Long term (8-10 years); Works inside the body; Blood vessels are joined and the ureter of the new kidney inserted into the bladder; Tissue types should be matched to reduce chances of rejection |
Pros of kidney transplant | Long term; Free from dialysis and dietary monitoring; Healthy kidney |
Cons of kidney transplant | Chance of rejection | Always has to take immunosuppressants |
Pros of peritoneal dialysis | Can be done at home | Patients can live relatively normal lives |
Cons of peritoneal dialysis | Needs to be done 4 times a day | High risk of infection |
Pros of haemdialysis | Needs to be done 3/4 times a week | Adds to life expectancy |
Cons of haemdialysis | High risk of infection; Sessions are time consuming; Have to be careful managing diet; Quite expensive |
Monoclonal antibodies | Produced from one plasma cell |
Relationship between length of Loop of Henle and conc of urine | Longer the loop of henle, more ions pass out of ascending limb into medulla Lowers wp in medulla More water can be reabsorbed back into blood |
Why is protein in urine a sign of chronic high blood pressure | High bp causes larger substances to force through basement membrane and damage capillaries |
How do pregnancy tests work? | Urine on reaction site travels up and monoclonal antibodies complementary to hCG bind to hCG in urine. Mobile antibody/hCG complex binds to immobilised antibodies attached to test site; This activates dyes |
How do you know of a pregnancy test is working | Any excess mobile monoclonal antibodies from the reaction site bind to immobile antibodies at the control site |
What else can urine test for | Anabolic steroids |
Anabolic steroid tests | Used to boost muscle growth and strength | Urine can be tested by gas chromatography in which a gaseous solvent separates substances or mass spec |
Kidney dissection | Cut kidney in half (lengthways); Cortex is lighter than medulla; Medulla contains renal pyramids (striped and cone shaped) |
Why do the renal pyramids appear stripy | Contain sections of the nephron e.g. collecting duct and loop of henle |
Where does the first part of the ornithine cycle occur | Mitochondria |
Characteristics affecting use of creatinine phosphate levels to estimate GFR | Diet - effects levels of cp; Exercise levels - more active patients have a higher conc of cp; Ethnicity/ genetic makeup - Diff alleles affect metabolism of cp; Gender - men and women have diff muscle mass |
Effects of kidney failure | Loss of electrolyte balance; Build up of urea in blood; High bp; Weakened bones - Ca/P balance in blood lost; Pain and stiff joints - abnormal proteins build up in the blood; Anaemia |
Storage of glycogen | Approx. 100-120g | Stored as granules in cytoplasm |
H2O2 | Harmful waste product of many metabolic processes |
Cytochrome P450 | Group of enzymes used to breakdown drugs and have a role in e- transport in respiration These two functions can interfere w/ each other |
What causes fatty liver | If hepatocytes detoxify too much alcohol, lipids are stored in hepatocytes causing the liver to become enlarged |
Which liver cells lead to regeneration of the liver | Hepatocytes through cell division (mitosis) |
Distal convoluted tubule | Involved with balancing water and salt levels depending on needs and blood pH; Any reabsorption is done actively as all fluids are isotonic |