Anatomy and Physiology - Introduction to Biomedical Engineering - page 129

engineers are working on controlled drug delivery systems that can sense blood glucose
levels and emulate the responses of the pancreatic islet cells, whereas other biomedical
engineers are trying to develop an artificial pancreas that would effectively maintain
appropriate blood glucose levels.
3.6 EXERCISES
1. Using as many appropriate anatomical terms as apply, write sentences that describe the
positional relationship between your mouth and (a) your left ear, (b) your nose, and (c) the
big toe on your right foot.
2. Using as many appropriate anatomical terms as apply, describe the position of the stomach
in the body and its position relative to the heart.
3. Search the Internet to find a transverse section of the body that was imaged using computerized
tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Print the image and indicate its web
address.
4. Search the Internet to find a frontal section of the body that was imaged using CT or MRI.
Print the image and indicate its web address.
5. Name and give examples of the four classes of biologically important organic compounds.
What are the major functions of each of these groups?
6. What are the molarity and osmolarity of a 1-liter solution that contains half a mole of calcium
chloride? How many molecules of chloride would the solution contain?
7. Consider a simple model cell, such as the one in Figure 3.6, that consists of cytoplasm and
a plasma membrane. The cell's initial volume is 2 nl and contains 0.2 M protein. The cell
is placed in a large volume of 0.05 M CaCl 2 . Neither Ca þþ nor Cl can cross the plasma
membrane and enter the cell. Is the 0.05 M CaCl 2 solution hypotonic, isotonic, or hypertonic
relative to the osmolarity inside the cell? Describe what happens to the cell as it achieves
equilibrium in this new environment. What will be the final osmolarity of the cell? What will
be its final volume?
8. What does the principle of electrical neutrality mean in terms of the concentration of ions
within a cell?
9. Consider the same model cell that was used in problem 7, but instead of being placed in
0.05 M CaCl 2 , the cell is placed in 0.2 M urea. Unlike Ca þþ and Cl , urea can cross the plasma
membrane and enter the cell. Describe what happens to the cell as it achieves equilibrium in
this environment. What will be the final osmolarity of the cell? What will be its final volume?
10. Briefly describe the path that a protein, such as a hormone, that is manufactured on the rough
ER would take in order to leave the cell.
11. What major role do mitochondria have in the cell? Why might it be important to have this
process contained within an organelle?
12. List and briefly describe three organelles that provide structural support and assist with cell
movement.
13. Find a location on the Internet that describes the Human Genome Project. Print its home page
and indicate its web address. Find and print an ideogram of a chromosome that shows a gene
that causes cystic fibrosis.
Continued