Endocrine Physiology - Mod 1 Flashcards
what are glands?
a specialized cell, group of cells, or organ that secretes substances to be used by or eliminated from the body
what are the 6 functions of the endocrine system?
- maintain constant internal environment
- adaptive stress response
- growth and development
- reproduction
- red blood cell production
- works with ANS for circulation and digestive functions
hydrophilic hormones
- highly water soluble, not lipid soluble
- unbound in the plasma
- peptides, proteins, or amines (catecholamines like NE and EPI)
synthesis of peptide hormones (simple)
- synthesis
- packaging
- storage
4, secretion
synthesis of peptide hormones (detail)
- preprohormones are synthesized by ER ribosomes
- processed into active hormones and packaged into secretory vesicles in the ER or golgi
- vesicles stored until cell receives signal
- exocytosis of vesicles and hormones are released into blood
lipophilic hormones
- highly soluble in lipids, not water soluble
- require carriers
- thyroid and steroid
synthesis of lipophilic hormones
- steroids all synthesized from cholesterol
- cell specific enzymes determine which hormones are produced
- released as they are synthesized
how do peptide hormones and catecholamines bind to receptors on the plasma membrane surface?
- activated second messenger systems
- pathways amplify initial signal because low conc. of hormones will trigger cellular responses
how does cAMP work as a secondary messenger?
- binds to receptor that can activate G protein which will activate adenylyl cyclase molecules
- activated proteins convert ATP to cAMP which activates protein kinase A
- protein kinase A enzymes phosphorylate and activate target proteins
how does Ca2+ work as a secondary messenger?
- binds to receptor that activates G protein which will activate phospholipase C enzymes
- proteins convert PIP2 to IP3 and DAG
- IP3 mobilizes intracellular Ca2+ to activate calmodulin
- Ca2+-calmodulin complex activates. Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase which will phosphorylate and activate target proteins
how to steroid and thyroid hormones bind to receptors?
- inside the cells
- pass through plasma and nuclear membranes
- when they bind they regulate gene transcription and protein synthesis
lipophilic hormones and protein synthesis
- free lipophilic hormones diffuse across plasma membrane to interact with receptors
- hormone-receptor complex binds to hormone response element in DNA
- DNA binding activates specific genes to produce mRNA
- mRNA leaves nucleus
- mRNA binds to ribosome so proteins can be synthesized
- synthesized proteins lead to cellular response of hormone
nervous control - HPA
- rapid responses
- effects only last while the stimulus is going
- hard-wired to one specific target
endocrine control - HPA
- slow responses
- effects persist after stimulus stops
- many targets in the body
where is the pituitary gland?
base of the skull
pituitary gland lobes
2 unrelated and uninteracting lobes
posterior pituitary gland structure
- made of neural-like tissues (neurohypophysis)
- connected to hypothalamus by neural pathways (supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus)
- axons from nuclei go down pituitary stalk to terminate on posterior pituitary
anterior pituitary gland structure
- made of glandular epithelial tissue (adenohypophysis)
- connected to hypothalamus by vascular link (hypothalamic- hypophyseal portal system)
- hypothalamus secretes hormones into the portal system and brings them to the anterior pituitary
how do posterior pituitary hormones work?
synthesized in hypothalamus and transported down axons, action potentials cause vesicles to be released into blood
what are the posterior pituitary hormones?
vasopressin and oxytocin
vasopressin (aka ADH)
enhances retention of water by kidneys and causes contraction of arteriolar smooth muscle
oxytocin
stimulates contraction of uterine smooth muscle cells during child birth, and promotes milk ejection during breastfeeding
what does it mean if a hormone is tropic? (like in the anterior pituitary)
once they are released they stimulate other endocrine glands to release hormones
what are the 6 hormones of the anterior pituitary?
GH (somatotropin), ACTH, LH, TSH, FSH, PRL
what is the hormone GH?
Growth Hormone
- regulates body growth and metabolism
what is the hormone ACTH?
adrenocorticotropic hormone
- stimulates adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol
what is the hormone LH?
luteinizing hormone
- responsible for ovulation and formation of corpus luteum in females
- stimulates release of testosterone from interstitial cells of Leydig in males
what is the hormone TSH?
thyroid-stimulating hormone
- stimulates release of thyroid hormones from thyroid gland
what is the hormone FSH?
follicle-stimulating hormone
- stimulates growth and development of ovarian follicles and promotes secretion of estrogen in females
- required for sperm production in males
what is the hormone PRL?
prolactin
- enhances breast development and milk production in females
- present in males with no purpose
- only non-tropic anterior pituitary hormone
6 stages of hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system
- hypophysiotropic hormones are produced by neurosecretory neurons in hypothalamus then go through hypothalamic capillaries
- hypothalamic capillaries join to form HHPS
- HHPS branches into anterior pituitary capillaries
- hypophysiotropic hormones leave the blood through ant.pit. capillaries and control the release of hormones
- ant.pit. secretes a hormone into capillaries when stimulated by a releasing hormone
- capillaries rejoin to form a vein so hormones can be distributed to the body
what are the 7 hormones produced in the hypothalamus?
TRH, GnRH, GHIH, CRH, GNRH, PRH, PIH
what is hormone TRH?
thyrotropin-releasing hormone
- stimulates release of TSH and prolactin
what is hormone GnRH?
gonadotropin-releasing hormone
- stimulates release of FSH and LH
what is hormone GHIH?
growth hormone inhibiting hormone
- inhibits release of growth hormone and TSH
what is hormone CRH?
corticitropin-releasing hormone
- stimulates release of ACTH
what is hormone GNRH?
growth hormone releasing hormone
- stimulates release of GH
what is hormone PRH?
prolactin-releasing hormone
- stimulates release of prolactin
what is hormone PIH?
prolactin-inhibiting hormone
- inhibits the release of prolactin
what type of inputs do hormones from the hypothalamic neurons receive?
neuronal and hormonal
inhibitory and stimulatory
blood barrier in the hypothalamus
some sections dont have - means that it can monitor blood and respond to changes
where is the thyroid gland?
over the trachea, just below the larynx
describe the cellular structure of the thyroid gland
- follicular cells arranged to form hollow spheres
- C cells that secrete calcitonin
- the middle of the hollow spaces is called the colloid and it is made up of thyroglobulin where the hormones are synthesized and stored
what are the 2 thyroid hormones?
T4 (tetraiodothyronine or thyroxine)
T3 (triiodothyronine)
what is the composition and function of T4?
4 iodine molecules
makes up 90% of thyroid hormones secreted
converted to T3 in target tissues
what is the composition and function of T3?
- 3 iodine molecules
- 10% of thyroid hormones secreted
- more active
why is iodine important?
- required to keep the thyroid hormone at sufficient level
- circulates as iodide once ingested
5 steps to the synthesis of thyroid hormones
- tyrosine-containing thyroglobulin is produced by ER-golgi complex and is transported into colloid by exocytosis
- follicular cells take up iodide by trapping it against the gradient (uses Na+ cotransporter that moves Na+ down the gradient)
- iodide transferred into colloid
- thyroperoxidase converts iodide into iodine (more reactive) which attaches to a Tyr residue on a thyroglobulin
- process called iodide organification
- produces MIT or DIT - coupling process combines MITs and DITs to form thyroid hormones that are then bound to the thyroglobulin
3 steps to the release of thyroid hormones
- follicular cells engulf part of the thyroglobulin-containing colloid by phagocytosis and create vesicles
- lysosomes fuse with vesicles and digestive enzymes release all MIT, DIT, T3, T4
- T3 and T4 cross plasma membrane and bind to plasma thyroid-binding protein
how fast do thyroid hormones act
very slowly
what are the 5 main actions of thyroid hormones? (no description)
- metabolic rate and heat production
- intermediary metabolism
- sympathomimetic
- cardiovascular system
- growth
thyroid hormones - metabolic rate and heat production
thyroid hormone increases BMR
- increases oxygen consumption and energy expenditure resulting in increased heat production
thyroid hormone - intermediary metabolism
influences enzymes involved in fuel metabolism
- effects differ depending on how much thyroid hormone present
- in low conc. glucose is converted to glycogen
- in high conc. glycogen breaks down into glucose
thyroid hormone - sympathomimetic
increase target cell’s response to catecholamines
- increases number of catecholamine receptors
thyroid hormone - cardiovascular system
have sympathiomimetic effects on the heart
- can increase HR and strength of contraction which will increase blood volume and flow
thyroid hormone - growth
essential for normal growth
- stimulates release of GH and insulin-like growth factor
- promotes actions to stimulate synthesis of new structural proteins and skeletal growth