Endocrine System Flashcards
Endocrine system
- endocrine system and nervous system work together
- endocrine system:
- hormones released into bloodstream travel throughout body
- results may take hours but last longer
- nervous system
- releases neurotransmitters to excite or inhibit nerve, muscle and gland cells
- results in milliseconds, brief duration of effects
Hormone receptors
-hormones only affect target cells with specific membrane proteins called receptors
Role of hormone receptors
- constantly being synthesized and broken down
- a range of 2000-100,000 receptors/ target cells
- up-regulation:
- deficiency of hormone, produces and increased number of receptors to up take more
- target tissue more sensitive to hormone
- down regulation
- excess hormone, produces a decrease in number of receptors
- receptors undergo endocytosis and are degraded
- decreases sensitivity of target cell hormone
Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
- both are master endocrine glands wince their hormones control other endocrine glands
- hypothalamus receives input from cortex, thalamus, limbic system and internal organs
- hypothalamus is connected to pituitary gland by a stalk called the infundibulum
Anatomy of pituitary gland
- pea shaped gland found in sella turcica of sphenoid
- infundibulum attaches it to brain
- anterior lobe: 75%
- connected to hypothalamus by portal veins
- posterior lobe: 25%
- ends of axons of neurons found in hypothalamus
- stores and releases neurotransmitters/hormones into blood stream
Flow of blood to anterior pituitary
- controlling hormones enter blood
- travel through portal veins
- enter anterior pituitary at capillaries
Anterior pituitary (adenophypophysis) secretions
- 7 major hormones secreted by 5 cell types:
- HGH
- TSH
- ACTH
- FSH
- LH
- PRL
- MSH
Human growth hormone (anterior pituitary)
- produced by somatotrophs
- common target cells are liver, skeletal muscles, cartilage and bone
- increases cell growth and cell division by increasing their uptake of amino acids and synthesis of proteins
Thyroid stimulating hormone (anterior pituitary)
- produced by thyrotrophs
- TSH stimulates the synthesis and secretion of T3 and T4 from thyroid gland
- metabolic rate stimulated
Follicle stimulating hormone (anterior pituitary)
- gonadotrophs release FSH
- initiates the formation of follicles within ovary
- stimulated follicle cells to secrete estrogen
- stimulated sperm production in testes
Luteinizing Hormone (anterior pituitary)
- produced by gonadotrophs
- in females LH stimulates:
- secretion of estrogen
- ovulation of 2nd oocyte
- formation of corpus luteum
- secretion of progesterone
- in males, stimulates interstitial cells to secrete testosterone
Prolactin (anterior pituitary)
- produced by lactotrophs
- PRL causes milk production in women
- function not known in males
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (anterior pituitary)
- ACTH produced by corticotrophs
- ACTH stimulated cells of adrenal cortex that produce glucocorticoids
Melanocyte stimulating hormone (anterior pituitary)
- secreted by corticotrophs
- function not certain in humans
- increases skin pigmentation in frogs
Posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis)
- doesn’t synthesize hormones
- consists of axon terminals of hypothalamic neurons
- neurons release 2 neurotransmitters that enter capillaries
- antidiuretic hormone
- oxytocin