Chedy - theme 12 Flashcards
Portal venous system - what is it?
Capillary beds connected by veins, bypassing the heart.
What’s good about the portal venous system?
Allows transfer of one region’s products to another at high concentrations. Ex: products of the hypothalamus can be carried directly to the pituitary gland without getting diluted.
Origin of endocrinology:
Bucharest - pit gland and gigantism.
Early experiment on testes. Later found that pit gland controls growth hormones.
Somatotropin:
Growth hormone. Substance affecting the body.
Gigantism:
Also called giant microadenoma - enlarged pituitary gland. Good for studying, since all body systems are enlarged.
Neuroendocrine system and homeostasis:
Controls growth and development, metabolism, cardiovascular system, and reproduction.
Hypothalamus:
Links the endocrine system to the nervous system. Synthesizes and secretes neurohormones.
What is the hypothalamus responsive to?
Light, olfactory stimuli, steroids, neurally transmitted info from heart/stomach/reproductive organs, autonomic input, blood-borne stimuli, stress, thermostat.
Process of secretion from post pit gland:
Neurohormones are synthesized in the neuronal cell bodies of the hypothalamus. They travel down the axon and are stored in the neuronal terminals in the post pit gland. When the neuron is excited, the hormone is released into the post pit capillaries for distribution.
Two types of hypothalamic hormones:
Hypothalamic neurohormones: secreted by the post pit gland.
Hypothalamic-releasing neurohormones: controls secretion from ant pit gland.
Post pit hypothalamic neurohormones:
Vasopressin and oxytocin.
Vasopressin:
Also called ADH (antidiuretic hormone). Produced by supraoptic nuclei.
In nephrons of kidneys: increases water permeability of distal and collecting tubules (water retention).
In arterioles: causes vasocontriction.
Oxytocin:
Produced by paraventricular nuclei.
In uterus: stimulates uterine contraction
In mammary glands: stimulates breast milk ejection
Oxytocin and vasopressin together:
Molecularly similar. At the end of pregnancy, mother needs to retain water to produce milk.
Drinking alcohol inhibits what?
Vasopressin. Which is why you pee so much.
Process of secretion from the ant pit gland:
Hypophysiotropic hormones are secreted into the hypothalamic capillaries. They pass through the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system. They pass into the blood through anterior pit capillaries and control the release of ant pit hormones. The anterior pit capillaries rejoin to form a vein, through which hormones are distributed to the body.
Hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system:
A vascular link from the hypothalamus to the anterior pit gland. Where the hypothalamic capillaries rejoin.
Hypophysiotropic hormones:
Releasing/inhibitory hormones produced by the hypothalamus for targeting to the ant pit gland.
Hormones of the ant pit gland:
Glycoproteins: TSH, pituitary gonadotropins (FSH and LH)
Proteins: GH, PRL, ACTH, endorphins
Also MSH, apparently
FSH:
Follicle-stimulating hormone. Stimulates germ cell development and sex steroid production in gonads.
LH:
Luteinizing hormone. Stimulates release of eggs and sex steroid production in gonads.
PRL:
Prolactin. Stimulates milk formation.
ACTH:
Adrenocorticotropic hormone. Stimulates adrenal cortex to produce glucocorticoids.
Hypothalamic neurohormones that control the pit gland:
CRH, GHRH, GHIH, GnRH, TRH, dopamine
CRH:
Corticotropin-releasing hormone. Stimulates ACTH synthesis.