Endocrine: Pancreas, Gonads Flashcards
Where is the pancreas located?
Long, flat, along the duodenum
True or False: Pancreas only has exocrine function
False - Endocrine and Exocrine
Endocrine portion of the pancreas is organized into thousands of tiny clumps of cells called ____________ ___________
pancreatic islets / islets of langerhans (scattered throughout the organ)
What are the 3 main endocrine cells of the pancreatic islets?
Alpha
Beta
Delta
What do alpha cells produce?
Glucagon
What do beta cells produce?
insulin
What do delta cells produce?
somatostatin
What role does insulin play?
Lowers blood glucose levels
(causes glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids in blood to be absorbed into body cells)
What role does glucagon play?
stimulates liver cells to convert glycogen to glucose; stimulates glycogenesis
What role does somatostatin play?
Inhibits the secretion of insulin and glucagon, GH, and diminishes the activity of GI tract
Disease from insulin deficiency
Diabetes Mellitus
What is the exocrine function of the pancreas?
Produces digestive enzymes
True or False: It is just as detrimental to have a glucagon deficiency as insulin
False - there are other hormones that have a hyperglycemic effect to supplement
The gonads are the reproductive organs - the _________ in the male and the ___________ in the female
Testes; ovaries
What is produced in the gonads?
Reproductive cells and important hormones
Clumps of endocrine cells that produce androgens
Interstitial cells
What is the principal androgen that interstitial cells produce?
Testosterone
Where is sperm produced?
seminiferous tubules
True or False: The ovaries produce reproductive cells and hormones continuously
False - They do so in cycles
What are the main hormone groups produced in the ovary?
Estrogens
Progestins
What is a third hormone produced in the ovary late in pregnancy?
Relaxin
Which estrogens are produced in the ovary?
Estradiol
Estrone
What role does estrogen play in ovulation?
- Follicle cells produce and release estrogens
- Follicle grows
- Estrogen production increases
- FSH decreases, LH increases
- LH peaks when follicle is fully mature
- Ovulation occurs
Where are progestins produced?
Corpus Luteum