Endocrine system Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 8 endocrine glands?

A

Pituitary gland
Pineal gland
Thyroid gland
Thymus gland
Adrenal gland
Pancreas
Ovaries
Testis

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2
Q

What are hormones?

A

Chemical signals produced in endocrine glands or tissues that travel in the bloodstream to cause an effect on other tissues

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3
Q

What is cortisol?

A

A steroid hormone that is released from the adrenal gland

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4
Q

What are the actions of cortisol?

A

Increased protein breakdown in muscle (catabolic)
Increased lipolysis in fat (catabolic)
Increased gluconeogenesis in liver (catabolic)
Resistance to stress
Anti-inflammatory effects
Depression of immune system

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5
Q

What is Cushing’s syndrome?

A

Chronic excessive exposure to cortisol

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6
Q

What is the external cause of Cushing’s syndrome?

A

Prescribed glucocorticoids (most common cause)

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7
Q

What are the endogenous causes of Cushing’s syndrome?

A

Benign pituitary adenoma (tumour)
Excess cortisol produced by adrenal tumour
Non pituitary-adrenal tumours producing ACTH (very rare)

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8
Q

What are the signs and symptoms on Cushing’s syndrome?

A

Plethoric moon-shaped face
‘Buffalo hump’
Abdominal obesity
Purple striae
Acute weight gain
Hyperglycaemia
Hypertension

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9
Q

What is Addison’s disease?

A

Chronic adrenal insufficiency

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10
Q

What are the causes of addison’s disease?

A

Main cause at the time of discovery was a complication of tuberculosis
Most common cause now is destructive atrophy from autoimmune disease - exact reason for autoimmunity is unknown
Rarer causes include fungal infection, adrenal cancer, adrenal haemorrhage

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11
Q

What are the signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease?

A

Postural hypotension
Lethargy
Weight loss
Anorexia
Increased skin pigmentation
Hypoglycaemia

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12
Q

Where is the thyroid gland?

A

Lies against and around front larynx and trachea
Below thyroid cartilage
Isthmus extended from 2nd to 3rd rings of the trachea
2 lobes joined by isthmus
‘Bow tie’ shape and location
Parathyroid and thyroid are distinct glands

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13
Q

What are the 2 main hormones produced by the thyroid gland?

A

T3 - tri-iodothyronine
T4 - thyroxine

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14
Q

T3

A

Secreted directly from the thyroid gland
Influences body metabolism

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15
Q

T4

A

Converted into T3 in tissues and cells
Iodine is essential for the formation of T3 and T4
TSH stimulates the release of T3 and T4

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16
Q

What are the functions of T3 and T4?

A

Essential for normal growth and development, especially of skeletal and nervous system
Most other organs and systems are influenced by thyroid hormones - heart, skeletal muscles, skin, digestive organs, reproductive organs

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17
Q

What is Hypothyroidism?

A

Underactive thyroid
Not enough thyroxine (T4) is produced for the body’s needs
Most common

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18
Q

What is hyperthyroidism?

A

Overactive thyroid
Too much thyroxine is produced for the body’s needs

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19
Q

What is a goitre?

A

Enlargement of the thyroid gland
May accompany either hypo or hyperthyroidism but not necessarily present in either
Develops when the thyroid gland is overstimulated

20
Q

What are the causes of a goitre?

A

Failure of thyroid gland
TSH or TRH deficiency
Inadequate dietary supply of iodine
Radioactive iodine
Autoimmunity
Post surgery
Congenital
Anti-thyroid drugs

21
Q

What are the symptoms associated with a goitre?

A

Obesity
Lethargy
Intolerance to cold
Bradycardia
Dry skin
Slope is
Hoarse voice
Constipation
Slow reflexes
Low T3 and T4
Elevated TSH

22
Q

What is Hashimoto’s disease?

A

Autoimmune disease resulting in destruction of thyroid follicles
Leads to hypothyroidism
Most common disease of the thyroid gland
5 times more common in women than in men

23
Q

What are the signs of Hashimoto’s disease?

A

Low T3
Low T4
Elevated TSH
Goitre may or may not be present

24
Q

What is the treatment for Hashimoto’s disease?

A

Oral Thyroid hormone
T4 used since longer half life

25
Q

What are the causes of hyperthyroidism?

A

Autoimmune Graves’ disease
Toxic multinodular goitre
Solitary toxic adenoma
Excessive T4 or T3 therapy
Drugs - amiodarone
Thyroid carcinoma

26
Q

What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?

A

Weight loss
Irritability
Heat intolerance
Tachycardia
Fatigue, weakness
Increased bowel movements
Sweating and tremor
Breathlessness

27
Q

What is graves’ disease?

A

Autoimmune disease resulting in hyperthyroidism
Caused by production of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI)
TSI continuously stimulates thyroid hormone secretion (outside normal negative feedback control)

28
Q

What are the symptoms of graves’ disease?

A

Increase in BMR
Excessive sweating
Decrease in body weight
Muscle weakness
Heart palpitations
Bulging eyes

29
Q

What is melatonin?

A

Hormone linked to sleep
Darkness stimulates release
Light inhibits secretion
Secreted into blood and enters CSF
Excited in urine
Production decreases with age

30
Q

What are the implications of melatonin for patients?

A

Noisy bright wards decrease secretion
May need supplements
Out of sync circadian rhythm - poor quality or life, poor mental health , poor physical health decrease in bowel movements
Links to diabetes
Links to obesity

31
Q

What are the 5 tissues comprising the MSK system?

A

Bones
Ligaments (attaching bone to bone)
Cartilage (protective gel like substance lining joints and intervertebral disks)
Skeletal muscles
Tendons (attaching muscles to bone)

32
Q

What is Catabolism?

A

The set of metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units that are either oxidised to release energy or used in other anabolic reactions

33
Q

What is anabolism?

A

The set of metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units, these reactions require energy, known also as an endergonic process

34
Q

What impact does glucagon have on muscles?

A

Promotes skeletal muscle wastage to supply amino acids for energy (gluconeogenesis)

35
Q

What impact does cortisol have on muscles?

A

Secreted by adrenal glands
Helps to deal with stress
Increases protein breakdown
Decreases protein synthesis

36
Q

What impact does adrenaline have on muscles?

A

Stimulate sympathetic nervous system
Breaks down muscle mass by using ATP and fuel stores in preparation for exercise

37
Q

What impact does testosterone have on muscles?

A

Increases growth hormone release

38
Q

What impact does oestrogen have on muscles?

A

Increases muscle metabolism
Reduced muscle break down
Helps repair muscles

39
Q

What impact does Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 have on muscles?

A

Released from liver
Signal to cells to undergo hypertrophy and cell division

40
Q

What are osteoblasts?

A

Bone-building cells - they deposit new bone tissue around themselves, they eventually become trapped in tiny pockets in the growing bone, and differentiate into osteocytes

41
Q

What are osteocytes?

A

Mature bone cells - they do not divide and are responsible for bone formation and calcium homeostasis

42
Q

What are osteoclasts?

A

Bone-reabsorbing cells - breakdown bone releasing calcium and phosphate. As new bone cells are made, old ones are destroyed by osteoclasts

43
Q

What impact does oestrogen have on bone?

A

Regulates metabolism
Promotes activity of osteoblasts
Prevents bone cell death by osteoclasts

44
Q

What is osteoporosis?

A

When the skeletons loses mineral density, the structure becomes thin and unable to take normal weight, leaving bones that break easily

45
Q

What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

A

Gender
Heredity
Age
Fracture history
Medical conditions
Medications

46
Q

What conditions can cause bone loss?

A

Alcoholism
Cancers
Coeliac disease
Crohn’s disease
Cushing’s disease
Diabetes Type 2
Eating disorders
Hyperthyroidism
Hypogonadism
Liver disease
Malabsorption
Rheumatoid arthritis