Chapter 13: The Endocrine System

Question 1

endocrine glands

Answer 1

• ductless
• secrete hormones into bloodstream
• hormones act only on target cells

Question 2

exocrine glands

Answer 2

• glands that secrete into ducts or tubes that lead to a body surface
• secrete externally
• deliver products directly to a specific cell

Question 3

hormones

Answer 3

chemical signals

Question 4

similarities of nervous & endocrine system

Answer 4

• function in communication
• nervous sys. releases neurotransmitters into synapse
• endocrine sys. secretes hormones into blood via chemicals that bind to receptors

Question 5

which system is slower?

Answer 5

endocrine; snail mail

Question 6

which system is faster?

Answer 6

nervous; email

Question 7

are major endocrine glands connected?

Answer 7

no

Question 8

what type of compounds are hormones?

Answer 8

organic; two types

Question 9

two types of hormones

Answer 9

1. steroid/steroid like
2. nonsteroid

Question 10

steroid/steroid like hormones

Answer 10

• lipids w/ complex rings of carbon & hydrogen
• produced from cholesterol
• ex. sex hormones & adrenal cortex hormones

Question 11

non steroid hormones

Answer 11

• amines
• proteins
• peptides
• glycoproteins

Question 12

amines

Answer 12

non steroid; derived from tyrosine (epinephrine/norepinephrine)

Question 13

proteins

Answer 13

composed of long chains of amino acids (growth hormone)

Question 14

peptides

Answer 14

short chains of amino acids (oxytocin)

Question 15

glycoproteins

Answer 15

carbs joined to proteins (TSH)

Question 16

how to hormones alter metabolic processes?

Answer 16

• may alter enzyme activity
• may alter rate of membrane transport of a substance

Question 17

what does # of receptors determine?

Answer 17

strength of response; can be changed to alter response

Question 18

upregulation

Answer 18

increase in # of receptors, response to a decrease in hormone level

Question 19

downregulation

Answer 19

decrease in # of receptors on target cell, due to increase in hormone level

Question 20

characteristics of steroid hormones

Answer 20

• poor water solubility
• can diffuse through lipid bilayer of cell membranes
• thyroid hormones thought to enter cell by specific transport methods
• bind to receptors inside cell, usually in nucleus

Question 21

characteristics of non steroid hormones

Answer 21

• can’t penetrate through bilayer
• bind to receptors on target cell membrane
• hormone considered first messenger
• use cyclic adenosine monophosphate as second messenger
• signal transduction

Question 22

signal transduction

Answer 22

non steroid; chemical communication process from outside to inside cell

Question 23

second messenger

Answer 23

chemical that induces changes leading to hormones effect

Question 24

which process is faster?

Answer 24

non-steroid

Question 25

steroid process

Answer 25

new protein

Question 26

non steroid process

Answer 26

activating existing protein

Question 27

prostglandins

Answer 27

• paracrine substances
• potent in small amounts, like hormones
• NOT stored in cells, synthesized just before release
• rapidly inactivated after use
• regulate cellular responses to hormones
• can activate or inhibit adenylate cyclase
• control cAMP activity
• alter a cell’s response to hormones