Endocrine System Flashcards
What are the organs of the endocrine system?
1) pineal gland
2) hypothalamus (neuroendocrine organ)
3) pituitary gland
4) thyroid gland
5) parathyroid gland
6) thymus
7) adrenal glands
Contains endocrine tissue:
8) pancreas
9) gonads (ovary & testes)
10) placenta
What is the major functions that are controlled by the hormones?
1) Reproduction
2) Growth & development
3) maintenance of electrolyte, water, and nutrient balance of the blood
4) regulation of cellular metabolism and energy balance
5) mobilization of body defenses
What is a hormone?
Long distance chemical signals which travel trough the blood or lymph
What is meant by autocrines?
Short-distance chemical signals which exert their effects on the same cells which secreted them
What is meant by paracrines?
Short-distance chemical signals, acting locally within the same tissue affecting cells other than the ones which secreted them (somatostatin released by cells of the pancreas which inhibits the secretion of insulin by other cells of the pancreas)
What is the difference between the endocrine and the nervous system?
1) NS is rapid while Endocrineeis slow
2) NS has short duration response while endocrine has a long-duration
3) NS acts via action potential & neurotransmitters, endocrine via hormones
4) NS specific locations, Endocrine diffuse location
5) NS short distances, Endocrine long distances
What are the types of hormones?
1) Water soluble:
Proteins, peptides, amino-acid based (cannot cross the plasma membrane)
2) Lipid soluble:
Steroid based synthesized from cholesterol (can cross plasma membrane secreted only the gonadal and adrenocortical hormones)
How do hormones act?
1) water soluble via second messengers except thyroid hormone
2) steroid hormones via activating specific genes
What does a hormone typically do?
1) alters the plasma membrane permeability/membrane potential via opening or closing ion channels
2) stimulates the synthesis of enzymes and other proteins within the cell
3) activates or deactivates enzymes
4) stimulates mitosis
How does water-soluble hormones act?
- They act on receptors on the plasma membrane coupled via
G-proteins
1) Hormone (1st Messenger) bind to a receptor on the cell membrane
2) Receptor activates a G-protein, providing it with GTP
3) G-protein activates the enzyme Adenylate Cyclase
4) Adenylate cyclase converts ATP into cAMP (which is the 2nd messenger)
5) cyclic AMP (cAMP “2nd Messenger”) activates protein kinases which triggers responses of target cell
How does lipid-soluble hormones act?
Steroid & thyroid hormones act on receptors inside the cell, directly activating the gene:
1) steroid hormone diffuses through the plasma membrane and binds to an intracellular receptor
2) the receptor-hormone complex enters the nucleus
3) receptor-hormone complex binds to a specific DNA region
4) binding of the receptor-hormone complex initiates the transcription of the gene to mRNA
5) MRNA directs protein synthesis
What are the types of stimuli that causes hormonal release?
1) Humoral stimulus
2) Neural stimulus
3) Hormonal stimulus
What is the mechanism of the humoral stimulus, what type of hormones does it release, from which gland?
It is the release of hormones via the alteration of critical ions or nutrients.
It can release PTH (parathyroid hormone) which is secreted by the parathyroid gland due to the decrease in the level of Ca2+ in the blood other examples includes (Insulin “increased blood glucose”, aldosterone “low Na+ or High “K+” blood levels)
FYI (humor means moisture/body fluid)
What is the mechanism of the neural stimulus, what type of hormones does it release, from which gland?
The release of hormones via neural input due to action potentials
(preganglionic sympathetic fibers - stimulates the medulla of adrenal gland - secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine, in response to stress
What is the mechanism of the hormonal stimulus, what type of hormones does it release, from which gland?
The release of hormone via a tropic hormone
Hormone from the hypothalamus targets - Anterior pituitary gland which secretes hormones that stimulates other endocrine glands (thyroid, adrenal cortex, gonads) it is called “hypothalamic-pituitary- target endocrine organ”
Which type of mechanism regulates most of the synthesis and release of hormone?
Negative feedback mechanism except for some (oxytocin)
How does the nervous system modulate hormone secretion?
In certain situation like when you are under stress, the NS can override the effects of the hormone stimulus releasing more than the normal amount of a certain hormone like when you are under stress it releases more glucose for our cell to be ready for vigorous activity if required
What is required from the cell to respond to a hormone?
It must have the receptor for that hormone either in its interior or on its plasma membrane for that hormone to bind, ACTH receptors are only found on the adrenal cortex, while thyroxine hormone receptor is found on nearly all body cells
What is the action of a hormone?
It stimulates the cell to preform “gene determined” functions acting as a molecular trigger
What determine the degree of target cell activation
1) blood levels of that hormone
2) relative number of receptor
3) affinity (the strength of the binding)
What is meant by up-regulation and down-regulation?
Up-regulation is when the numbers of a specific hormone receptor increases due to low levels of that hormone in the body Dow-regulation is exactly the opposite
Can hormones influence the number of receptors that respond to other hormones?
Yes! Progesterone can down-regulate estrogen while osteogen up-regulates progesterone receptors
How does a hormone circulate in the blood?
1) free
2) bound to a protein carrier (lipid-soluble hormones)
What are the types of hormone interactions?
1) permissiveness
2) synergism
3) antagonism
What is meant by permissiveness?
Where one hormone cannot exert its full effects unless the presence of another hormone (reproductive system needs the thyroid hormone)
Wha is meant by synergism?
When more than one hormone exert the same effect on the target cell and their effects are amplified. (Glucagon & epinephrine, causes the release of glucose from the blood)
What is meant by antagonism?
When one hormone opposes the effect of another hormone due to the competition for the same receptors (insulin and glucagon)
What is the sources of lipid soluble hormones?
1) Adrenal cortex
2) gonads
3) thyroid gland
What are the lipid-soluble hormones?
All steroid hormones + thyroid hormone
Where is the pituitary gland seated, and what connects it to the hypothalamus?
Seated on the sella turcica of sphenoid bone connected to the hypothalamus via the infudibulum
What is the structure of the pituitary gland?
1) posterior pituitary
2) anterior pituitary
Describe the structure and function of the posterior pituitary gland
Composed largely of neural tissue Forming the neurohypophysis (PPG + Infundibulum), releasing neurohormone (secreted via neurons) which is stored hormones made in the hypothalamus
Describe the structure of the anterior pituitary gland
Originates from epithelial tissue, adhering to the neurohypophysis, no direct neural connection with the hypothalamus, but communicates via vascular connection (primary capillary plexus in the infundibulum communicates inferiorly via the small hypophyseal portal veins with a secondary capillary plexus in the anterior lobe “hypophyseal portal system AKA unusual arrangement of blood vessels in which a capillary bed feeds into veins, which in turn feed into a second capillary bed”) which controls its secretion of hormones, ensuring that the minute quantities of hormones released by the hypothalamus arrive rapidly
at the anterior pituitary without being diluted by the systemic circulation
Hypothalamus/pituitary hormones are what based?
Amino acid based
How does the hypothalamus control the release of hormones from the posterior pituitary?
1) Hypothalamic neurons synthesize oxytocin or antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
2) Oxytocin and ADH are transported down the axons of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal tract to the posterior pituitary
3) Oxytocin and ADH are stored in axon terminals in the posterior pituitary
4) When associated hypothalamic neurons fire, action potentials arriving at the axon terminals cause oxytocin or ADH to be released into the blood
via Action potentials that travel down the axons of hypothalamic neurons, causing hormone release from their axon terminals in the posterior pituitary
How does the hypothalamus control the release of hormones from the anterior pituitary?
1) When appropriately stimulated, hypothalamic neurons secrete releasing or inhibiting hormones into the primary capillary plexus
2) Hypothalamic hormones travel through portal veins to the anterior pituitary where they stimulate or inhibit release of hormones made in the anterior pituitary
3) In response to releasing hormones, the anterior pituitary secretes hormones into the secondary capiIlary plexus. This in turn empties into the general circulation
Via Hypothalamic hormones released into special blood vessels (the hypophyseal portal system) control the release of anterior pituitary hormones
What hormones is released from the posterior pituitary?
1) oxytocin
2) antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
What are the hormones that are released from the anterior pituitary gland?
1) Growth hormone (GH)
2) Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
3) Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
4) Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
5) Leutinizing hormone (LH)
6) Prolactin (PRL)
Which neuron synthesizes oxytocin?
Paraventricular neurons (composed of nine amino acids)
Which neuron synthesizes ADH?
Supraoptic neurons (composed of nine amino acids)
Where is the oxytocin released from?
Its a nonapeptide, released from the paraventricular nucleus in the hypothalamus
Where is the ADH released from?
ADH or vasopressin, its a nonapeptide released from the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus
Where is the growth hormone released from?
A protein released from he somatotropic cells of the anterior pituitary gland
Where is the thyroid stimulating hormone released from?
“Glycoprotein” Released from the thyrotropic cells in the anterior pituitary
Where is the adrenocorticotropic hormone released from?
Peptide released from the corticotropic cells of the anterior pituitary gland
Where is the follicle stimulating hormone released from?
A glycoprotein release from gonadotropic cells of the anterior pituitary
Where is the leutinizing hormone released from?
Glycoprotein, released from the gonadotropic cells of the anterior pituitary gland
Where is the prolactin released from?
A protein, released from prolactin cells in the anterior pituitary
What stimulates the release of oxytocin?
Stimulated by stretching of the uterine cervix, breast suckling
Inhibited by lack of neural stimuli
What stimulates the release of ADH?
Stimulated by
1) increased solute concentration
2) decreased blood volume
3) pain
4) some drugs
5) low BP
Inhibited by:
1) alcohol
2) adequate hydration
What stimulates the release of GH?
Stimulated by:
1) low GH levels
2) deep sleep
3) hypoglycemia
4) increase amino acids
5) low fatty acids
6) exercise
Inhibited by:
1) feedback inhibition by GH & Insulin GF
2) hyperglycemia
3) hyperlipidemia
4) obesity
5) emotional deprivation (increased GHIH, decrease GHRH)
What stimulates the release of TSH?
Stimulated by:
1) TRH
2) cold temperature in infants
Inhibited by:
1) feedback inhibition via thyroid hormone, anterior pituitary and hypothalamus via GHIH