5. Glands Flashcards
Define a gland
An epithelial cell or an aggregate of epithelial cells that are specialised for the secretion of a substance
Define secretion
The production and release of materials by a cell or aggregate of cells
List 3 things that glands receive stimulus from
- Brain(CNS)
- Chemicals
- Neighbouring cells
What is usually considered to classify glands?
- their structure
2. how their products are released
What do mucous and goblet cells both secrete
Mucin - protein which mixes with water to produce mucus
What is the main difference between exocrine and endocrine glands?
Exocrine glands are ducted - secrete into a location through a duct
Endocrine glands are ductless - secrete directly into blood
What do endocrine glands secrete?
Hormones
What do exocrine glands secrete?
Enzymes or lubricants
Give 3 examples of endocrine glands
- Pituitary gland
- Thyroid gland
- Parathyroid gland
List 3 secretions of the anterior pituitary gland
- Hormones that regulate most of the glands of the endocrine system e.g LH,FSH,TSH,ACTH
- Prolactin - milk
- Somatotrophin - growth
List 2 hormones secreted by posterior pituitary gland
- vasopressin
2. oxytoxin
What is the function of the thyroid gland?
Produces thyroid hormones T3 & T4 that control metabolism;
calcitonin, involved in calcium homeostasis
What is the function of the parathyroid gland?
Produces parathyroid hormone, calcium
homeostasis
Which epithelial cells of the endocrine gland secrete the hormone?
ALL epithelial cells
Give 6 examples of exocrine glands
- salivary glands
- Pancreas
- mammary
- sweat glands
- sebaceous gland
- Lachrymal gland
Where are sebaceous glands found and what do they secrete?
Attached to hair follicle. Secretes sebum onto the skin and in the ear (contributes to earwax) to protect these tissues from pathogens. Lubricate the shaft of the hair for growth and waterproof the skin
Where are Lachrymal glands found and what do they secrete?
In eye secrete water to moisten the eye, also produce lysozyme (an enzyme to attack bacteria).
Which epithelial cells of the exocrine glands secrete the products?
only cells at the apex of the duct
What do mammary glands produce?
Produces colostrum and milk in response to prolactin and oxytocin (hormones) to nourish neonates
Explain the generation of exocrine glands
- Growth signal received
- Proliferation of [daughter] cells occurs and extracellular protein degradation enzymes produced
- Epithelial cells invade space created
- Central cells die off to produce duct
(canalicularisation) . - Apical cells differentiate to produce specific secretory products
Explain the generation of endocrine glands
- Growth signal received
- Proliferation of [daughter] cells occurs and extracellular protein degradation enzymes produced
- Epithelial cells invade space created
- produce angiogenic factors to
stimulate blood vessel growth in and around the epithelial cells - Link to [mother] cells broken through apoptosis
In thyroid follicles, what causes expansion of the follicle into a sphere?
Production of colloid between epithelial cells
What do some of the cells at the secretory ends of exocrine ducts change into and why?
myoepithelial cells
: - Cells that have features of both an epithelial cell and a smooth muscle cell
- Help to eject secretions from the duct
What are the two types of secretions
- Mucous
2. Serous
What are the 3 types of glandular secretions?
- Merocrine
- apocrine
- Holocrine
- Cytocrine
What is merocrine secretion?
fusion of vesicles containing secretory substance with apical membrane to release it out of the cell
- A form of exocytosis
What is apocrine secretion?
partial loss of cytoplasm containing secretory substance
What is holocrine secretion ?
complete loss of cytoplasm or cell
Give examples of merocrine glands
Acinar and endocrine glands of the pancreas
Give examples of apocrine glands
Lactating mammary gland, sweat glands in the axila and external genitalia
Give examples of holocrine glands
Sebaceous gland in skin and tarsal glands in eyelid
What is Cytocrine secretion?
cells are released as a secretion
Give an example of a Cytocrine gland
Spermatid
What are the two pathways of merocrine secretion?
- Regulated secretion
2. Constitutive secretion
What happens in regulated secretion?
Secretory granules accumulate in large vesicles and are released by exocytosis upon stimulation - need calcium ions to work
What happens in constitutive secretion?
The secretory product is not concentrated into granules but packaged into small vesicles and continuously released to the cells surface
Used mainly to repopulate the plasma membrane with plasma proteins
Describe the process of regulated merocrine secretion
Active process – uses energy
- Contents of vesicle (cargo) can be anything within the cell
- Active secretion requires specific signal (Ca2+ ions)
- Vesicle migrates to cell surface along microtubules
- In presence of Ca2+ ions, membrane of vesicle fuses with plasmalemma
- Cargo released to extracellular space
In the neonatal period, are both fats and milk proteins secreted by apocrine secretion in the breast?
No, Only fats are secreted by apocrine secretion (signet fragment)
Milk proteins made in RER and on free ribososomes are packed into
vesicles produced by the Golgi
apparatus
- released by merocrine secretion
During lactation, are fats and milk proteins both secreted by apocrine secretion in the breast?
Yes,
both fats and
proteins are released by apocrine
secretion
Describe holocrine secretion using th sebaceous gland as an example.
- The secretory cell gradually fills up with
secretory granules - The cell organelles degenerate
- The cells die
- The plasma membrane breaks and the contents (secretum) (sebum) empties
- Dead cells are replaced by mitotic division of the basal cells
What is the structure of the Golgi apparatus?
> Stack of disc-shaped cisternae
One end of discs are flattened (trans), the other concave(cis)
Discs have swellings at their edges
Distal swellings pinch off as migratory Golgi Vacuoles
What is the function of the Golgi apparatus?
> Transport through the sequential Golgi apparatus cisternae >Packaging of sorted contents through condensation
Adding sugars to proteins and lipids (Glycosylation)
What are the Golgi product destinations?
.Majority extruded in secretory vesicles
>Some retained for use in the cell (e.g. lysosomes)
>Some enters the plasma membrane (glycocalyx*) *GLYCOCALX = Sweet husk
Define glycosylation of proteins
The covalent attachment of sugars by enzymes to proteins and lipids to form glycoproteins and glycolipids
Define glycation
formation of glycoproteins withoute enzymes
What re the 5 roles of glycosylation?
- To aid protein folding
- Prevents protein digestion by intracellular proteases
- Prevents lipid digestion by intracellular lipases
- Cell recognition (blood groups)
- Role on cell to extracellular matrix attachment
Define exocytosis
Secretion of molecules outside the cell via a vesicle fuming to a membrane
Define endocytosis
Engulfing of molecules inside the cell via vesicle formation
Define phagocytosis
Phagocytosis is the process by which cells (phagocytes), envelop or engulf other cells or particles
Define pinocytosis
pinocytosis is the process in which liquid droplets are ingested by cells.
Which cells use pinocytosis?
Pinocytosis used by all cells, especially smooth muscle cells
What is paracellular transport?
When molecules move through an aqueous channel n the intercellular junction
What is transcellelar transport?
When molecules move though lipid cell membranes
How do impermeable substances pass through an epithelial membrane?
Those that are impermeable may bind to cell surface receptors, be engulfed by the cell membrane (endocytosis) and then released inside the cell or expelled via membrane-limited vesicles out of the cell and into the extracellular space (exocytosis)
List the 3 types of glandular control
- humoral stimulus
- neural stimulus
- Hormonal stimulus
Which glands use humoral stimulus?
Humoral stimulus through feedback loops most prevalent in endocrine glands
Which glands use hormonal stimulus?
Hormonal stimulus most prevalent in
endocrine glands
Which glands use neural stimulus?
Neural stimulus solely controls
salivary (exocrine) gland secretion
How are gland secretions controlled?
By negative feedback mechanism
What is neurocrine communication?
I don’t know
List the 3 type of hormones
- Peptide hormone
- Steroid hormones
- Amino acid derived hormones - catecholamines
- thyroid hormones
Give examples of what hypothalamus deal with
—Thermoregulation – Plasma osmolality via osmoreceptors – Heart rate, blood pressure – Feeding, satiety, regulation of the gastrointestinal tract – Circadian rhythms, wakefulness, sleep – Stimuli from the autonomic nervous system (both sympathetic and parasympathetic) – Emotion, sexual behaviour, mood – Lactation (suckling/baby crying)
How are portal circulatory systems different to the typical circulatory system?
In typical circulatory route, blood flows from the arteries to capillaries to veins.
In portal systems, blood flows from the armies to capillaries and then to portal vessels/veins and then to capillaries again and then to vein. There are two sets of capillaries instead of 1
What is the name of the portal blood supply to the anterior pituitary ?
Hypothalamus-hypophyseal portal system
At which week of gestation do endocrine glands form?
From week 5 onwards
Describe the structure and location of the thyroid gland
The thyroid gland consists of two almost spherical lobes joined together by a small connecting piece called the isthmus and is positioned low in the anterior surface of the neck. The isthmus lies just under (inferior to) the cricoid cartilage in the neck with thyroid lobes lying on either side of the trachea and away from the midline (more lateral).
Third or fourth cartilage down
What stimulates the production of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4/
- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) released by the pituitary gland
- Thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAbs)
What does high levels of T3 and T4 indicate and how does the body deal with it?
Indicates hyperthyroidism and so pituitary glands secrete less TSH so less stimulation of thyroid to make hormones
What does really low levels of T3 and T4 indicate and how does the body deal with it?
Indicates hypothyroidism and causes pituitary gland to secret more TSH. So more stimulation of thyroid gland
What are parafollicular cells?
Neuroendocrine cells that migrate into the thyroid during thyroid development in the embryo and produce the peptide hormone thyrocalcitonin/calcitonin