endocrine system Flashcards
endocrine system function
- helps body maintain homeostasis
- cell communication for body regulation via chemical messegengers / hormones
- nervous system and endocrine system
what are endocrine glands?
- collections of cells that make chemical messengers
- secretory epithelial cells surrounded by vascular network
- produce hormones into interstitial fluid which will enter the blood stream
- determined by the receptor expression at the target -> hormones only have an impact on the organs with the receptor
epithelial cells in endocrine system
produce the hormones
where can endocrine target receptors be found?
- as part of the epithelial surface like lining of the digestive tract
- seperate organ like thyroid or pituitary glands
exocrine glands
- open contact with exterior
- ducts carry secretions to the surface
endocrine glands
- no open contact with exterior
- no ducts, instead produce hormones secreted into blood (then travel via vascular system)
main components of endocrine system
- pineal gland
- hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
- thyroid gland
- parathyroid glands
- thymus
- adrenal glands
- pancreas
- ovary / testis
pituitary gland
- 1cm diameter
- in sphenoid bone
- anterior = adenohypophysis
- posterior = neurohypophysis
- endocrine gland in the brain
hypothalamus location
- lower part of the dicenphalon
- superior to pituitary
- endocrine gland in the brain
infundibulum
connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary
role of the hypothalamus
- oversees internal body conditions
- gets nervous stimuli from receptors throughout the body
- controls chemical and physical characteristics of blood
- secretes hormones that regulate pituitary function
hypothalamo-hypophysial tract
- connects the hypothalamus and posterior pituitary
- communicates via neurons
- extends through the infundibulum
- the neurohormones from hypothalamus travel along neurons in tract and are stored in the posterior pituitary until hypothalamus detects they are needed
hypothalamhypophysial portal
- connects the anterior pituitary to the hypothalamus
- via blood vessels that create direct communication
- portal blood eventully merges with general circulation
- receives hormones released from hypothalamus
- they cause the anterior pit to release its own hormones
regulatory circuits example hypothalamis pituitary thyroid axis
axis=when glands signal to each other in a sequence
-> hypothalamis pituitary thyroid axis
- top level: hypothalamus (produces releasing hormones to stimulate the pituitary
- intermediate level: pituitary (produces stimulating hormones)
- target glands: thyroid (produces the hormone)
- feeds back to hypothalamus
thyroid gland
- large = 20g
- 2 lobes
- lateral to trachea
- inferior to thyroid cartilage
- connects to isthmus across anterior aspect of the trachea
- very vascularised (dark red)
- regulated by the TRH (hypothalamus) & TSH (ant.pit)
- many follicles
- produce T3 and T 4 -> stored & released from follicles ot respond to TSH from pituitary
- iodine needed for thyroid hormone synthesis
- parafollicular cells: sit next to follicles & needed for calcium homeostasis
TRH
thyroid releasing hormone
TSH
thyroid stimulating hormone
parathyroid glands
- 4 small glands on posterior of thyroid glands
- made up of:
- parathyroid (cheif) cells: small, stain darker, produce PTH
- oxyphil cells: large, stain lighter
PTH
parathyroid hormone
adrenal glands
- produce hormones that help regulate metabolism, immune system, blood pressure…
- inner medulla: makes epinephrine (adrenaline) & norepinephrine
- outer cortex: 3 layers - makes steriod hormones
- layers have distinct roles
- bottom layer = outermost layer
layers of the adrenal gland and their hormones
- suprenal medulla = adrenaline
- zona reticularis = androgens
- zona fasciculata = glucocorticoids (cortisol)
- zona glomerulosa = mineralcorticoids (aldosterone)
- capsula
zona fasciculata & cortisol
can make too much cortisol because of a pituitary tumour affecting the release of stimulating hormones
pancreas
- lies behind peritoneum
- between greater curvarture of stomach & duodenum
- 15cm long
- exocrine & endocrine
pancrease - exocrine
acini produce pancreatic juice carried in duct to small intestine
involved in digestive system
pancrease - endocrine
pancreatic islets secrete hormones into circulation
- regulates nutrient concentration in circulation (insulin & amino acids)
the pancreatic islets
each islet has alpha, beta, gamma cells
alpha:
- secrete glucagon if glc levels too low
beta:
- secrete insulin if glc levels too high
gamma:
- secrete somatostatin to inhibit insulin and glucagon
characteristics of cell signalling
- synthesis of signal
- release of signalling molecule by signalling cell: exocytosis, diffusion, cell-cell contact
- transport of the signal to the target cell
- detect change in receptor protein
- change in cellular metabolism, function or development
- removal of signal
transport of signals
signals can act at short or long-range
endocrine signalling
hormone released by endocrine cell and carried in the bloodstream to the target cell
paracrine signalling
signalling molecules only affect target cells in close proximity to secreting cells
autocrine signalling
- cells respond to substances that they themselves release
- only the one cell involved
membrane bound protein signalling
signalling between cells bound to each other by membrane bound proteins
G proteins
- bind to GTP or GDP
- trimeric: composed of three subunits (alpha, beta, gamma)
- specialised proteins that can activate/inhibit a downstream enzyme to generate an intracellular second message
- they all have 7 membrane spanning regions with amino group extracellular and carboxyl intracellular
protein hormones
- insulin, GH, TSH
- synthesised by anterior pi, post.pit, pancreas and parathyroid
- hydrophilic
steriod hormones
- cortisol, oestrogen
- synthesised from adrenal cortex, ovaries, testes, placenta
- hydrophobic
thyroid hormones
- thyroxine
- synth. from thyroid
- hydrophobic
- amino acid derivative
- T3 and T4
catecholamines
- adrenaline
- synth. by adrenal medulla
- hydrophilic
- amino acid derivative
what would be the difference in a cell producing a peptide hormone compared to a cell producing a steroid hormone?
- peptides are produced in the RER
- so cells synthesising peptide hormones will have a larger amount of RER
synthesis of polypeptides and proteins
- synthesized in advance (prohormones)
- require further processing to be activated
storage and release of polypeptides and proteins
- stored in vesicles in cell
- released via exocytosis
transport of proteins and polypeptides in blood
dissolved in plasma
- dont need to be attached to anything
synthesis of steroids
- on demand
- in a series of reaction pathways from cholesterol
- adrenal cortex, gonads, placenta
storage and release of steroids
- not stored b4 secretion
- cannot bind to anything for storage
- released upon synthesis by simple diffusion
transport of steroids in blood
primarily bound to plasma proteins
synthesis of thyroid hormones
from tyrosine in advance