Endocrine & Renal Flashcards
What are the three general classes of hormones (i.e. chemical structure)?
Steroid made from cholesterol
Non-steroid proteins or polypeptides
Non-steroid derivatives of the amino-acid tyrosine
Where are steroid hormones made?
Adrenal glands and gonads (testes or ovaries)
How do steroid hormones travel to and enact changes on their target cells?
They travel through the bloodstream bound to transport proteins to reach target cells. Since steroid hormones are relatively small, and non-polar, they diffuse right across the phospholipid membrane of target cells. Inside the cell, they bind to a receptor that activate certain genes in the nucleus
How do peptide hormones travel to and enact changes on their target cells?
Peptide hormones, like insulin and glucagon, travel through the bloodstream to reach target cells, they bind to cell surface receptor proteins on the cell membrane that activates various proteins and enzymes that create changes in gene expression within the cell.
How do amino-acid hormones travel to and enact changes on their target cells?
Different hormones behave differently, either like steroid or peptide hormones
Thyroid hormones behave like steroid hormones travel the bloodstream bound to a transport protein and cross the cell membrane to bind to an intracellular receptor, and signal changes in gene expression in the nucleus.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline, on the other hand, behave more like peptide hormones - they travel through blood unbound, and bind to cell surface receptors on cells, which then set off intracellular changes
What is the primary role of the hypothalamus in the endocrine system?
It is the link between the nervous and the endocrine system. It receives information from the entire body, and responds by producing hormones stored in the posterior pituitary, to be released later, or producing hormones that act on the anterior pituitary, making it secrete some hormones of its own.
What are the differences in the tissue types of the anterior and posterior lobes of the pituitary gland
The anterior lobe, is made up of glandular tissue
The posterior lobe, is made up of nervous tissue
What is the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-portal system?
This is a system of tiny capillaries that moves hormones quickly from the hypothalamus to the anterior pituitary
Are hypothalamic hormones stimulatory, inhibitory, or either?
Hypothalamic hormones can be stimulatory or inhibitory.
What are examples of hypothalamic stimulatory (releasing) hormones?
Thyrotropin releasing hormone, or TRH
Corticotropin releasing hormone, or CRH
Gonadotropin releasing hormone, or GnRH
Growth hormone releasing hormone, or GHRH
What hormone does the hypothalamic stimulatory (releasing) hormone thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulate the production of? What does the released hormone do?
TRH leads to the production of thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, which reaches the thyroid and tells it to make some more thyroid hormones
What happens when plasma thyroid hormone levels increase?
A negative feedback signal is sent to the pituitary to make less TSH, keeping thyroid hormone levels in an optimal range
What hormone does the hypothalamic stimulatory (releasing) hormone corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) stimulate the production of? What does the released hormone do?
CRH makes the pituitary produce adrenocorticotropic hormone - or ACTH - which goes to the adrenal glands and makes them secrete more of a hormone called cortisol
What happens when plasma cortisol levels increase?
High levels of cortisol inhibit the production of ACTH through a negative feedback mechanism
What hormone does the hypothalamic stimulatory (releasing) hormone growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulate the production of? What does the released hormone do?
GHRH makes the anterior pituitary secrete more growth hormone - or GH - which has a direct effect on the long bones and other tissues in our body to stimulate growth.
What are the two hypothalamic inhibitory hormones?
Growth hormone inhibiting hormone (GHIH) also known as somatostatin, and prolactin inhibiting factor, which is also called dopamine
What hormones do the hypothalamic nuclei secrete to act on the posterior pituitary gland?
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) also known as vasopressin and oxytocin.They travel down the axons in the pituitary stalk and reach the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The axons release ADH or oxytocin into the posterior pituitary capillaries, and from there, into the system circulation
What triggers the hypothalamus to release Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)?
High blood osmolarity or a low blood volume, ADH helps retain water from the urine and causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels, which helps decrease osmolarity and increase blood pressure
What hormone does the pineal gland release, what is its function?
Melatonin, it regulates our body’s circadian rhythm - or the “innerclock” that tells us when we should be sleeping and when we should be awake
What hormones are made by the thyroid gland?
T3 (triiodothyronine) & T4 (thyroxine)
What is the function of the T3 hormone?
Increases basal metabolic rate in the body
What is the function of the calcitonin and parathyroid hormone?
They are involved in calcium, phosphate, and bone metabolism
How are calcitonin and parathyroid hormone regulated?
By calcium levels in the blood
Where are the adrenal glands located?
Above each kidney
What is the outer layer of the adrenal gland called?
The cortex
What is the inner core of the adrenal gland called?
The medulla
What hormones are made by the cortex of the adrenal glands?
Steroid hormones- aldosterone, cortisol, and sex hormone precursors
What hormones are made by the medulla of the adrenal glands?
Epinephrine (AKA adrenaline) and norepinephrine (AKA noradrenaline)
What stimulates the secretion of aldosterone?
Low blood pressure or increased blood potassium
What is the function of aldosterone?
Prevent the loss of water and sodium in the urine and increases the elimination of potassium.
What stimulates the secretion of cortisol?
Stress, it is part of the sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flightresponse
What stimulates the secretion of epinephrine (AKA adrenaline) and norepinephrine (AKA noradrenaline)?
The sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight response
What is the exocrine role of the pancreas?
To help with digestion
What is the endocrine role of the pancreas?
To secrete insulin and glucagon
What type of pancreatic cells secrete insulin?
Beta cells
What type of pancreatic cells secrete glucagon?
Alpha cells
What hormone is released in response to high blood sugar?
Insulin
What hormone is release in response to low blood sugar?
Glucagon
What is glycemia?
Blood sugar
What is the general function of insulin?
Insulin is a hormone that’s involved in lowering blood sugar levels or glycemia after a meal.
Where is insulin produced?
Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
What is the primary exocrine role of the pancreas?
Secreting digestive enzymes into the small intestine to help digestion
What is the most abundant cell type found in the islets of Langerhans and what hormone do they secrete?
Beta cells are the most abundant, they produce insulin.
What hormone do the alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete?
Glucagon
What is the most important trigger for insulin secretion?
Blood glucose. Beta cells are sensitive to glucose concentrations in blood, and when blood glucose levels rise, beta cells secrete insulin into the blood to help lower those levels and store glucose.
What are other stimulatory factors for insulin secretion?
Hormones like glucagon and cortisol, which stimulate insulin indirectly by increasing blood glucose levels
Increased fatty acid or amino acid concentrations in blood,since insulin is also involved in their storage.
Acetylcholine from the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps with digestion, and stimulates insulin secretion to decrease the recently absorbed glucose in blood.
What are inhibitory factors for insulin secretion?
Norepinephrine from the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated during stressful situations that demand high energy consumption and need glucose to be readily available in blood
Somatostatin, which avoids the excessive release of pancreatic hormones and growth hormone
Where are insulin receptors located?
Mainly in the liver but also in adipose tissue and skeletal muscles
Is insulin an anabolic or catabolic hormone?
Anabolic
What does insulin convert glucose to in the liver?
Glycogen
What does insulin convert glucose to in adipose tissue?
Fatty acids
What does insulin convert glucose to in skeletal muscle?
Amino acids
Does insulin stimulate or inhibit gluconeogenesis?
Insulin inhibits glucose production from lactic acid and noncarbohydrate molecules through gluconeogenesis.
What happens if glycogen storage capacity is reached and there is still excess glucose in the blood?
Insulin prompts the liver to convert glucose into fatty acids through glycolysis
What is glycolysis?
The metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, and then pyruvate is converted to fatty acids through a reaction with acetyl-CoA
What do amino acid and glucose uptake in muscle cells help with?
Protein production and muscle growth. Insulin stimulates amino acid and glucose uptake into the muscle cells
What is the role of glucagon?
Increase glucose levels in the blood.
What is the general function of glucagon?
Increase blood glucose (glycemia)
Where is glucagon produced?
Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
What hormone do the alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete?
Glucagon
What hormone do the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete?
Insulin
What is the most important trigger for glucagon secretion?
Alpha cells are sensitive to glucose concentrations in blood, and when blood glucose levels are low alpha cells secrete glucagon into the blood to help increase those levels
What are other stimulatory factors for glucagon secretion?
Glucagon secretion is also stimulated by adrenaline from the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated during stressful situations with high energy consumption
Glucagon secretion is also stimulated by cholecystokinin which is secreted by intestinal cells to stimulate digestion and absorption
What are inhibitory factors for glucagon secretion?
When blood glucose is high, alpha cells stop secreting glucagon, and beta cells start secreting insulin, which both lowers glucose levels and inhibits glucagon secretion in the process
Other molecules that inhibit glucagon production include somatostatin,which is classified as an inhibitory hormone that avoids the excessive release of pancreatic hormones
Where are glucagon receptors located?
Located in the membrane of its target cells- mainly in the liver, but also in fat or adipose tissue
Is glucagon an anabolic or catabolic hormone?
Catabolic
What is glycogenolysis?
The breakdown of glycogen stores into glucose in the liver
What is gluconeogenesis?
Glucose production from lactic acid and from noncarbohydrate molecules in the liver
From where does glucose get released to increase blood glucose levels?
Liver cells release glucose causing blood glucose levels to rise
What is lipolysis?
Breakdown of fat stimulated by glucagon through lipolysis in the liver and adipose tissue, causing a release of fatty acids into the bloodstream as an additional source of energy
What two hormones regulate glucose?
Glucagon and insulin
What is the function of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)?
It is a peptide hormone that helps regulate the release of hormones by the adrenal gland
Secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is dependent on what?
Hypothalamic-pituitary axis
What is the hypophyseal portal system?
A network of capillaries linking the hypothalamus to the anterior part of the pituitary gland
Where is corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) secreted and what is its function?
The hypothalamus secretes corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) into the hypophyseal portal system to stimulate the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary gland
How is ACTH normally released?
Normally, ACTH is released in a pulsatile manner throughout the day and peaks in the morning around 6am but it is also secreted in response to various forms of stressful stimuli
What are some examples of stressful stimuli that may stimulate the secretion of ACTH?
Hypoglycemia or during an infection in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines
What are the two parts of the adrenal glands and what hormone groups are each responsible for secreting?
Adrenal outer cortex- cortico steroids (aldosterone, cortisol, androgens)
Adrenal inner medulla- catecholamines (epinephrine andnorepinephrine)
What are the three zones of the adrenal cortex and what hormone is each responsible for secreting?
Outermost zone is the zona glomerulosa, secretes mineralocorticoids(aldosterone)
Middle zona fasciculata, secretes glucocorticoids (cortisol)
Innermost zona reticularis, secretes androgens (sex hormones)
What happens when ACTH binds to its receptor in the adrenal glands?
Adrenocortical cells release corticosteroid hormones, mainly glucocorticoids but also mineralocorticoids
What class of hormone are glucocorticoids and what is the most important glucocorticoid in humans?
Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones, the most important glucocorticoid in humans is cortisol.