Endocrine System Flashcards
What is the difference between endocrine and exocrine glands?
Exocrine glands have ducts for delivery of substances to membrane surface and produce nonhormonal substances (e.g. sweat, saliva), endocrine glands are ductless and produce hormones.
What are hormones?
Long distance chemical signals that travel in blood or lymph
What are the two main classes of hormones?
Amino acid based hormones and steroids
What are the two major mechanisms of hormone action depending on chemical nature?
Water soluble hormones (peptides) and lipid soluble hormones.
Which type of hormone can move freely through the cell membrane?
Lipid-soluble hormones
What are the three factors that target cell activation depend on?
Blood concentrations of the hormone, relative number of receptors on/in target cell, and affinity of binding between receptor and hormone
What is up-regulation?
Target cells form more receptors in response to hormone
What is down-regulation?
Target cells lose receptors in response to the hormone
What are the two ways that hormones can circulate through blood?
Free or bound (attached to protein carrier)
What are the three ways hormones may interact with each other?
Permissiveness, synergism, antagonism
What is permissiveness?
One hormone cannot exert its effects fully without the presence of another hormone.
What is synergism?
Interaction of more than one hormone produces the same effects at the target cell and their combine effects are amplified (yield result more than additive).
What is antagonism?
One or more hormones oppose the action of another hormone (i.e. glucagon and insulin)
How are blood concentrations of hormones controlled?
Negative feedback systems
What are the three stimuli that trigger hormone synthesis/release?
Humoral, neural, hormonal
What are humoral stimuli?
Changing blood concentrations of ions and nutrients directly stimulates hormone secretion
What are neural stimuli?
Nerve fibers stimulate hormone release
What are hormonal stimuli?
Hormones stimulate other endocrine organs to release their hormones (trophic effect)
What are the two lobes of the pituitary gland called?
Anterior (adenohypophysis) made of glandular tissue and Posterior (neurohypophysis) made of neural tissue
What are the six hormones released by the anterior pituitary?
Thyroid stimulating, adrenocorticotropic, follicle stimulating, luteinising, growth, prolactin
What is the role of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)?
Stimulates normal development and secretory activity of the thyroid
What is the role of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)?
Stimulates adrenal cortex to release corticosteroids
What is the role of gonadotropins (FSH and LH)
Stimulates gamete (egg/sperm) production and promotes gonadal hormone production
What is the role of growth hormone (GH)?
Promotes protein synthesis (skeletal muscle) and encourages use of fats for fuel
What is the role of prolactin (PRL)?
Stimulates milk production
What two hormones does the posterior pituitary store?
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin, released in response to nerve impulses
What is the role of antidiuretic hormone (ADH)?
Responds to changes in solute concentration of the blood. If solute concentration is high, inhibits urine formation to minimise loss of fluid. If solute concentration is low, hormone NOT released to allow water loss
How does alcohol affect antidiuretic hormone (ADH)?
Inhibits the release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and causes copious urine output, even when the body is dehydrated.
What is the role of oxytocin?
Stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth, triggers milk ejection, sexual arousal/orgasm in males and females
What are the two hormones involved with breast milk and what are their roles?
Prolactin is involved in the production of milk, oxytocin is responsible for triggering the ejection of milk.
What are the functions of the endocrine system?
Acts with the nervous system to coordinator and integrate activity of body cells, influences metabolic activities. Responses are slower but tend to last longer than those of nervous system
Which type of hormone cannot penetrate the cell membrane?
Water soluble (peptide) hormones
How are hormones removed from the blood?
Degrading enzymes (kidneys/liver) and half-life