B11 Hormones and response Flashcards
What are hormones?
- Chemical molecules released into the blood
- Only affect target organs
What do hormones control?
- Things which need constant adjustment
What are the effects of hormones?
long lasting
What does the pituitary gland produce?
- Many hormones
- releases hormones to act on other glands
What do ovaries produce?
oestrogen for the menstrual cycle
What do the testes produce?
testosterone to control puberty and sperm production
What does the thyroid produce?
thyroxine which regulates:
- the rate of metabolism
- heart rate
- temperature
what does the adrenal gland produce?
adrenaline for ‘fight or flight’
what does the pancreas produce?
insulin to regulate blood sugar levels
what is the endocrine system?
it consists of a number of gland which secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream
what are some differences between the nervous system and the endocrine system?
- nervous system uses electrical impulses that travel down neurones while the endocrine system uses hormones in the bloodstream
- nervous system’s signals are very fast, endocrine system has a more long lasting and slower effect
where are the adrenal glands?
above the kidneys
what does insulin do?
trigger body cells to take up glucose from the blood
it also triggers the liver and muscle cells to store excess glucose as the molecule glycogen
what happens when someone has type 1 diabetes?
the pancreas does not produce enough insulin
what happens to someone that has type 2 diabetes?
the body cells stop responding to insulin produced by the pancreas
what can be used to treat type 1 diabetes?
patients can inject themselves with insulin after meals
what can be used to regulate type 2 diabetes?
a carbohydrate controlled diet
exercise regularly
what is a risk of diabetes?
obesity
what happens when the blood glucose levels fall?
the hormone glucagon is released into the blood stream
what does glucagon trigger?
it triggers liver cells to convert glycogen stores back into glucose which is then released into the blood
why do insulin and glucagon form a negative feedback cycle?
they have opposite effects on blood glucose levels
what is ovulation?
when an egg is released from the ovaries
what are the stages of the menstrual cycle?
an egg is released, and the uterus’ lining grows
egg then reaches the uterus
(if sperm is present the egg is fertilised and implants into the lining)
the egg and uterus lining are released
what is the function of FSH?
it causes the egg to be fertilised in the ovary
what does LH do?
causes ovulation