Endocrine system

Question 1

Regulatory functions

Answer 1

Metabolism 
Ion regulation 
Water balance 
Water balance 
Tissue maturation 
Immune system regulation 
Heart rate and blood pressure 
Control of reproductive functions 
Control of food intake and metabolism 
Control of blood glucose and other nutrients

Question 2

Endocrine glands

Answer 2

Hypothalamus 
Pineal gland 
Pituitary gland 
Thyroid 
Thymus 
Adrenals 
Ovaries 
Parathyroids
Pancreas
Testes

Question 3

Similarities with nervous system

Answer 3

Both associated with the brain (hypothalamus, epithalamus)
May use same chemical messenger as neurotransmitter or hormone
Two systems are cooperative

Question 4

Differences between nervous system

Answer 4

Transport (blood, axon)
Speed of response (seconds, milliseconds)
Duration of response (minutes or days, seconds or milliseconds)
Amplitude or frequency-moderated system

Question 5

General characteristics of hormones

Answer 5

Stability (half-life)
Communication (interaction with target cell)
Distribution (dissolve in blood plasma so distributed quickly as circulate in the blood)

Question 6

Stability - general hormone characteristic

Answer 6

Long half-life - regulate activities that remain at a constant rate
- Usually lipid soluble and travel in plasma attached to proteins
Short half-life - water soluble hormones as proteins, epinephrine, norepinephrine
- Rapid onset and short duration

Question 7

Half-life

Answer 7

Length of time it takes for half a dose of substance to be eliminated from circulatory system

Question 8

Hormone classification

Answer 8

Lipid-soluble
Water-soluble
Based on chemical behaviour
Determining potential sites of action

Question 9

Further subdivision in classification

Answer 9

Steroid hormone

Non-steroid hormones

Question 10

Lipid-soluble hormones

Answer 10

Non polar 
Steroid hormones Thyroid hormones 
Fatty acid derivative hormones 
Travel in blood bound to binding proteins 
Small 
Low solubility 
Longer half life - slower degradation 
Direct effect - straight into nuclear receptor

Question 11

Water-soluble hormones

Answer 11

Polar
Protein hormones
Peptide hormones
Most amino acid derivative hormones
Dissolve in blood
Many are large - slower diffusion through membranes
Some are small - attach to larger proteins to avoid being filtered out of the blood

Question 12

Patterns of hormone secretion

Answer 12

Chronic hormone secretion
Acute hormone secretion
Episodic (cyclic) hormone secretion

Question 13

Chronic hormone secretion

Answer 13

Maintenance of relatively constant concentration of hormone

Thyroid hormone

Question 14

Acute hormone secretion

Answer 14

Epinephrine in response to stress

Question 15

Episodic (cyclic) hormone secretion

Answer 15

Female reproductive hormones

Question 16

Control of hormone secretion

Answer 16

Negative feedback mostly
Action of substance other than a hormone on an endocrine gland (pH or calcium in blood)
Neural control of endocrine gland
Control of secretory activity of endocrine gland by hormone or neurohormone secreted by another endocrine gland

Question 17

Where nervous and endocrine systems interact

Answer 17

Pituitary gland and hypothalamus

Question 18

Anterior pituitary produces hormones that regulate

Answer 18

Body functions

Secretions of other endocrine glands

Question 19

Anterior pituitary gland

Answer 19

Releases growth hormone - influence growth of all tissues

Question 20

Actions of growth hormone

Answer 20

Increases tissue uptake of amino acids
Synthesises new protein
Stimulates long bone growth

Question 21

Posterior pituitary gland

Answer 21

Releases antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Question 22

Actions of ADH

Answer 22

Reduces water loss
Stimulated through low water conc. or low plasma volume
Osmolality increases and plasma volume decreases during exercise
Exercise above 60% max will show increased ADH to maintain plasma volume

Question 23

Adrenal medulla

Answer 23

Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
Part of sympathetic nervous system 
Increase:
Metabolic rate 
Rate and force of heart contraction 
Blood pressure 
Muscle blood flow 

Maintain plasma glucose concentration

Question 24

Adrenal cortex

Answer 24

Secretes over 30 different steroid hormones - corticosteroids
Mineralocorticoids (aldosterone)
Glucocorticoids (cortisol)
Gonadocorticoids (androgens and estrogens)

Question 25

Cortisol

Answer 25

Maintains plasma glucose during fasting and exercise
Makes amino acids available for tissue repair
Released in response to hypoglycaemia, exercise and stress

Question 26

Pancreas releases

Answer 26

Insulin

Glucagon

Question 27

Insulin

Answer 27

Stimulates uptake of nutrients and storage of glycogen, proteins and fats
Facilitates glucose diffusion across membranes
Lack causes glucose to be lost in urine
Secretion influenced by blood glucose levels

Question 28

Glucagon

Answer 28

Stimulates metabolism of glucose and fatty acids

Increased secretion in response to low plasma glucose conc.

Question 29

Testosterone

Answer 29

Anabolic (tissue building)
Androgenic (promoter of masculinity)
Responsible for muscle growth
Primary parameter to assess anabolic status of the body

Question 30

Effects of testosterone

Answer 30

Influence protein synthesis
Mineralisation of skeleton
Growth plate maturation and function

Question 31

During exercise, hormone concentrations…

Answer 31

Increase
Greater intensities = greater increase
Except insulin - decreases
Smaller increase in trained people

Question 32

What can be useful when monitoring sports training?

Answer 32

Hormonal evaluation

Question 33

Which hormones used to detect overtraining syndrome?

Answer 33

Testosterone to cortisol ratio
Reflects anabolic/catabolic status of the body
Below threshold - may indicate overtraining
Can be caused by both mental and physical stress