Endocrine System

Question 1

What do the endocrine and nervous systems cooperate together to do?

Answer 1

regulate different functions of other organ systems

Question 2

Describe the speed of nervous system activation.

Answer 2

usually brief and fast

Question 3

Describe the speed of endocrine system activation.

Answer 3

much broader and targets virtually all organ systems

Question 4

What are hormones?

Answer 4

secretions of endocrine glands directly released into bloodstream, and circulate throughout body

Question 5

What does the endocrine system consist of? (5)

Answer 5

major glands including pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pineal, and adrenal glands that produce a wide variety of hormones

Question 6

What are the organs that are not considered as glands, but contain cells that produce hormones? (11)

Answer 6

heart, liver, pancreas, stomach, intestine, thymus, ovaries, testes, skin, hypothalamus, and placenta

Question 7

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What is the pituitary gland?

Answer 7

oval-shaped structure located in hypophyseal fossa of sphenoid bone in middle cranial fossa

Question 8

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What does it attach to?

Answer 8

attaches to hypothalamus by (infundibulum) connecting stalk

Question 9

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What does it do?

Answer 9

regulates secretions of most of the other glands

Question 10

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What is it controlled by?

Answer 10

hormones of hypothalamus

Question 11

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What does it consist of?

Answer 11

2 separates lobes:

• anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis)
• posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis)

Question 12

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What is it supplied by?

Answer 12

arterial circle of Willis

Question 13

Pituitary Gland (Hypophysis)

What is its function regulated by?

Answer 13

primarily regulated by hormonal feedbacks through hypothalamus

Question 14

Pineal Gland (Epiphysis Cerebri)

What is the pineal gland?

Answer 14

small, red, cone-shaped structure that attaches to posterior wall of third cerebral ventricle

Question 15

Pineal Gland (Epiphysis Cerebri)

What does it do?

Answer 15

its secretions control circadian rhythm, and distribution of melanin pigments in skin

Question 16

Pineal Gland (Epiphysis Cerebri)

What happens to this gland in elderly people?

Answer 16

calcified

Question 17

Pineal Gland (Epiphysis Cerebri)

What is it supplied by?

Answer 17

posterior cerebral artery

Question 18

Pineal Gland (Epiphysis Cerebri)

What is its function controlled by?

Answer 18

hormonal feedbacks

Question 19

Thyroid Gland

What is the thyroid gland?

Answer 19

butterfly-shaped thyroid gland is situated in neck, anterior to trachea, and inferior to larynx

Question 20

Thyroid Gland

What does it consist of?

Answer 20

2 lateral lobes connected together by isthmus

Question 21

Thyroid Gland

What is the isthmus?

Answer 21

slender connection anterior to trachea at level of 2nd or 3rd cartilage rings of trachea

Question 22

Thyroid Gland

What is the pyramidal lobe?

Answer 22

small third lobe immediately superior to isthmus, in 50% of individuals

Question 23

Thyroid Gland

What do the 2 lateral lobes relate to?

Answer 23

• thyroid and cricoid cartilages medially
• common carotid arteries laterally

lobes extend superiorly to inferior border of thyroid cartilage of larynx

Question 24

Thyroid Gland

What do thyroid hormones do?

Answer 24

regulate either metabolic rate of body, or blood calcium level

Question 25

Parathyroid Gland

What are the parathyroid glands?

Answer 25

4 pea-sized reddish brown mass of glandular tissue partially embedded within posterior surface of lateral lobes of thyroid gland

Question 26

Parathyroid Gland

What does parathyroid hormone do?

Answer 26

cooperates with thyroid hormone (calcitonin) in blood calcium level regulation

Question 27

What supplies the thyroid and parathyroid glands?

Answer 27

• superior and inferior thyroid arteries
• branches of external carotid
• subclavian arteries

Question 28

What regulates activities of the thyroid and parathyroid glands?

Answer 28

hormonal feedbacks, or level of blood calcium

Question 29

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

Where are these glands?

Answer 29

located on superior pole of kidneys, while surrounded by separate capsule

Question 30

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What is the shape of the right gland?

Answer 30

pyramidal-shaped

Question 31

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What is the shape of the left gland?

Answer 31

crescent-shaped

Question 32

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What can you see in the coronal/frontal section? (2)

Answer 32

• superficial cortex

- deep medullary part

Question 33

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What do hormones of the superficial cortex do?

Answer 33

contribute in balancing level of sodium and glucose, or regulation of sexual activities

Question 34

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What is the function of the superficial cortex regulated by?

Answer 34

hormonal feedbacks

Question 35

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What do hormones of the deep medullary part do?

Answer 35

mimic function of sympathetic nervous system

Question 36

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What is the function of the deep medullary part regulated by?

Answer 36

preganglionic sympathetic fibers carried by greater, lesser, and least splanchnic nerves

Question 37

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What are chromaffin cells?

Answer 37

modified neurons that act as postganglionic sympathetic neurons

in deep medullary part

Question 38

Suprarenal Glands (Adrenal Glands)

What is it supplied by?

Answer 38

several branches mainly arising from abdominal aorta and renal arteries