In the last article we looked at how the body uses negative feedback mechanisms to control the concentration of glucose in the blood. Diabetes mellitus is a condition where these feedback systems fail and blood glucose is not controlled, with potentially fatal consequences if left untreated. In this article we will look at the two... Continue Reading →
Control of Blood Glucose – Homeostasis Ep 3
Control of blood glucose is very important. Sufficient glucose must be delivered to cells for respiration, but too much glucose can eventually result in coma or even death. The concentration of glucose is affected by factors such as eating and exercise, and must be brought back to the normal level of about 4mmol/L to 5.5mmol/L.... Continue Reading →
Control of Body Temperature – Homeostasis Ep 2
Control of body temperature is the first example of homeostasis we will look at in this series. For humans, normal body temperature is 37°C. It is important to maintain this temperature as it is the optimum temperature for enzymes involved in many metabolic processes such as respiration. Humans are endotherms, meaning that they control their... Continue Reading →
Antibodies – Immunity Ep 4
Antibodies are very important proteins in the immune response. We've already mentioned them a lot in the last few articles but today we will take a detailed look at their structure and function, and how they can be used in medical applications. Antibody structure Antibodies are proteins with a quaternary structure. They have two longer... Continue Reading →
Proteins – Biological Molecules Ep 9
We've already looked at the monomers that make up a protein: amino acids. But fully functioning proteins are often much more complex in structure than a simple polypeptide chain. Today we will look at the different levels of structure in proteins and some specific examples. Levels of protein structure So let's start with a quick... Continue Reading →
