BMSC 207 Pre-Midterm Unlocked: Study Smart with Verified Questions & Answers | 2025
UPDATES
About This Study Pack:
This guide is designed to help you prepare for the BMSC 207 pre-midterm exam, covering content from
Modules 1 to 6. Inside, you'll find verified questions and answers based on real exam material—perfect
for reviewing key concepts in anatomy and physiology, boosting retention, and improving your
confidence before test day.
Define Physiology
the study of the normal functioning of living organisms and its component parts, including all its chemical
and physical processes
list the levels of organization studied in physiology
...
Name the 10 physiological organ systems of the body
- circulatory
- digestive
- endocrine
- immune
- integumentary (skin)
- musculoskeletal
- nervous
- reproductive
- respiratory
- urinary
Distinguish between mechanistic and teleological approaches to studying physiology
Mechanistic: mechanism or "HOW"
Teleological: function or "WHY"
Define homeostasis
ability to maintain relatively stable internal environment despite exposure to external variability
Who came up with the term homeostasis and in what year?
Walter Cannon, 1929
what is considered the internal environment?
ECF
homeostasis depends on....
mass balance
,what is the law of mass balance?
if the amount of a substance in the body is to remain constant, any gain must be offset by an equal loss
- input = output
Explain the different control systems that exist to maintain homeostasis
local: restricted to tissues or cells involved
reflex: long-distance signaling (blood pressure), uses nervous, endocrine, or both (antagonistic)
2 parts to a reflex control system
1. response loop
2. feedback loop
what is a feedback loop
modulates response loop
- negative, positive, feedforward control
what are negative feedback loops? give an example
response counteracts the stimulus, shutting off the response loop
- homeostatic
- can restore the initial state but cannot prevent initial disturbance
EX. maintaining blood glucose level
what are positive feedback loops? give an example
reinforces stimulus, sending the variable farther away from the setpoint
- requires event outside of the loop to cease response
- NOT homeostatic
EX. childbirth
what are feedforward control systems? give an example
Reflexes have evolved to allow body to predict a change that is about to occur
EX. Hungry
Describe biological rhythms. Give an example
variables that change predictably and create repeating patterns/cycles of changes
EX. Circadian rhythm (aka internal clock)
Explain the four major functions of the cell membrane
1.) physical isolation - separating ICF and ECF, separates cell from environment
2.) Regulation of exchange with environment - controls entry, elimination, release
3.) Communication between cell and environment - proteins allow for responding/interacting with
external environment
4.) structural support - Proteins in membrane used for cell-to-cell connections and to anchor cytoskeleton
Describe the main constituents of the cell membrane and why they can vary from cell to cell
, 55% protein
45% lipid
a trace amount of carbs
- more metabolically active the membrane is, the more protein it contains
three types of lipids found in cell membrane
50% phospholipids
30% sphingolipids
20% cholesterol
2 types of cell membrane proteins
integral and peripheral
2 types of integral proteins
transmembrane and lipid-anchored
roles of integral membrane proteins
-membrane receptors
- cell adhesion molecules
- transmembrane movement (channels, carriers, pores, pumps)
- enzymes
- mediators of intracellular signalling
roles of peripheral proteins
intracellular signalling, form submembraneous cytoskeleton
lipid anchored proteins commonly associated with......
sphingolipids instead if phospholipids
importance of lipid rafts
contain an abundance of proteins important for cell signal transduction
difference between glycoprotein and glycolipid
- glycoprotein: forms protective coat, cell-to-cell interaction
- glycolipid: cell-to-cell interactions
Describe the two body fluid compartments
ECF: 1/3 body water volume, interstitial fluid and blood plasma
ICF: 2/3 body water volume
body fluid compartment volumes for "standard" 70kg man
ICF = 28L
ECF = 14L
- plasma = 25% of ECF
- Interstitial fluid = 75% of ECF
UPDATES
About This Study Pack:
This guide is designed to help you prepare for the BMSC 207 pre-midterm exam, covering content from
Modules 1 to 6. Inside, you'll find verified questions and answers based on real exam material—perfect
for reviewing key concepts in anatomy and physiology, boosting retention, and improving your
confidence before test day.
Define Physiology
the study of the normal functioning of living organisms and its component parts, including all its chemical
and physical processes
list the levels of organization studied in physiology
...
Name the 10 physiological organ systems of the body
- circulatory
- digestive
- endocrine
- immune
- integumentary (skin)
- musculoskeletal
- nervous
- reproductive
- respiratory
- urinary
Distinguish between mechanistic and teleological approaches to studying physiology
Mechanistic: mechanism or "HOW"
Teleological: function or "WHY"
Define homeostasis
ability to maintain relatively stable internal environment despite exposure to external variability
Who came up with the term homeostasis and in what year?
Walter Cannon, 1929
what is considered the internal environment?
ECF
homeostasis depends on....
mass balance
,what is the law of mass balance?
if the amount of a substance in the body is to remain constant, any gain must be offset by an equal loss
- input = output
Explain the different control systems that exist to maintain homeostasis
local: restricted to tissues or cells involved
reflex: long-distance signaling (blood pressure), uses nervous, endocrine, or both (antagonistic)
2 parts to a reflex control system
1. response loop
2. feedback loop
what is a feedback loop
modulates response loop
- negative, positive, feedforward control
what are negative feedback loops? give an example
response counteracts the stimulus, shutting off the response loop
- homeostatic
- can restore the initial state but cannot prevent initial disturbance
EX. maintaining blood glucose level
what are positive feedback loops? give an example
reinforces stimulus, sending the variable farther away from the setpoint
- requires event outside of the loop to cease response
- NOT homeostatic
EX. childbirth
what are feedforward control systems? give an example
Reflexes have evolved to allow body to predict a change that is about to occur
EX. Hungry
Describe biological rhythms. Give an example
variables that change predictably and create repeating patterns/cycles of changes
EX. Circadian rhythm (aka internal clock)
Explain the four major functions of the cell membrane
1.) physical isolation - separating ICF and ECF, separates cell from environment
2.) Regulation of exchange with environment - controls entry, elimination, release
3.) Communication between cell and environment - proteins allow for responding/interacting with
external environment
4.) structural support - Proteins in membrane used for cell-to-cell connections and to anchor cytoskeleton
Describe the main constituents of the cell membrane and why they can vary from cell to cell
, 55% protein
45% lipid
a trace amount of carbs
- more metabolically active the membrane is, the more protein it contains
three types of lipids found in cell membrane
50% phospholipids
30% sphingolipids
20% cholesterol
2 types of cell membrane proteins
integral and peripheral
2 types of integral proteins
transmembrane and lipid-anchored
roles of integral membrane proteins
-membrane receptors
- cell adhesion molecules
- transmembrane movement (channels, carriers, pores, pumps)
- enzymes
- mediators of intracellular signalling
roles of peripheral proteins
intracellular signalling, form submembraneous cytoskeleton
lipid anchored proteins commonly associated with......
sphingolipids instead if phospholipids
importance of lipid rafts
contain an abundance of proteins important for cell signal transduction
difference between glycoprotein and glycolipid
- glycoprotein: forms protective coat, cell-to-cell interaction
- glycolipid: cell-to-cell interactions
Describe the two body fluid compartments
ECF: 1/3 body water volume, interstitial fluid and blood plasma
ICF: 2/3 body water volume
body fluid compartment volumes for "standard" 70kg man
ICF = 28L
ECF = 14L
- plasma = 25% of ECF
- Interstitial fluid = 75% of ECF
