Endocrine system Flashcards
What are the main endocrine glands?
- •Kidneys & Liver: Erythropoietin
- •Heart:Atrial natriuretic peptide
- •Adipose tissue: is endocrinologically active!
- •Paracrines: chemical messengers with locally acting effects (within the same tissue)
How are hormones classified?
- Amino acids
- Steroids
What are the characteristic of aminoacid based hormones?
- Are water-soluble and can not cross the cell membrane of target cells*
- *Exception: thyroid hormones (T4, T3)
What are the characteristics of steroids?
Are lipid-soluble and can diffuse across the cell membrane of target cells
Name some amino acid based hormones
Peptide chains & Proteins
- •ACTH, TSH, ADH
- •Insulin, Glucagon
- •Growth Hormone
Amino acid derivatives
- •Adrenaline, noradrenaline
- •Thyroid hormones (T4, T3)
Name the five Steroid hormones
Adrenal cortex
- •Referred to as Corticosteroids
- •Cortisol, Aldosterone
Synthesised from cholesterol
- •Gonadalhormones:
- •Progesterone, Androgens, Oestrogens
What are the actions of the hormones?
Target cells: influences the activity of only those tissue cells that have receptors for it
** note: some have more than one target cell - EG. noradrenaline at SA node
- •Alteration of cell membrane permeability or excitability
- •Stimulation of synthetic activity or secretion e.g. enzymes, proteins
- •Activation/deactivation of enzymes
- •Stimulation of mitosis
How do hormone communicate at target cells?
- second messenger systems
- •direct gene activation
What is the target cell communication mechanism for second messenger system?
- Are water-soluble and can not cross the cell membrane of target cells
- Act upon receptors embedded in the cell membrane of target cells
- Rely on intracellular signaling molecules (second messengers) to mediate their effects
What is the target cell communication mechanism for direct gene activation?
Steroids
- Are lipid-soluble and can diffuse across the cell membrane of target cells
- Are therefore capable of direct gene activation
- Bind to receptors within the cytosol of target cells
Thyroid hormones
- Are transported intotarget cells by membrane-bound transporter proteins
- Are also capable of direct gene activation
- Bind to receptors fixed to the DNAof target cells
What are the hormones that use second messenger system?
Amino acid based hormones
Example
•Cyclic AMP
- •E.g. ACTH, FSH, LH, Glucagon, PTH, Calcitonin
•Tyrosine Kinase
- •E.g.insulin
•PIP2& Calcium
- •E.g. oxytocin, ADH
What type of hormones use direct gene activation
lipid (Thyroid) and steroid-based hormone use direct activation
What type of hormones use second messenger activation ?
Amino acid hormones
What are the 3 mechanisms of regulation of hormone release?
Humoral stimulus
Neural stimulus
Hormonal stimulus
What is the neural stimulus as a mechanism for regulation of hormone release?
Hormone release can be caused by neural input
Example: short term response to stress
- •Sympathetic nervous stimulation of the adrenal medulla
- •Adrenal medulla releases adrenaline & noradrenaline
What is humoral stimulus as a mechanism for the regulation of hormone release?
•Hormone release can be caused by altered blood levels of certain ions or nutrients
example: •blood concentration of calcium (Ca2+)
What is hormonal stimulus as a mechanism for the regulation of hormone release?
Hormone release may be caused by another hormone (trophic) hormone
Example: endocrine glands controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis
How is hormonal release turned off?
negative feedback control loop
- •When hormone levels rise sufficiently to cause target organ effects
- •Target organ effects “feed back” to the reduce the initial stimulus for hormone release
- •Results in the inhibition of further hormone release
What is neurophysis hormone and what is its function?
The posterior lobe, along with the infundibulum
- Composed largely of neural tissue
- •Hasneural connectionsto the hypothalamus – the hypothalamic-hypophyseal tract
FUNCTION
- •Not a true endocrine gland that manufactures hormones
- •Stores and releases releases “ready made” hormones received from the hypothalamus
What are the 2 posterior pituitary hormones?
Oxytoxcin
ADH
What is oxytocin and its function?
•Produced by paraventricularneurons
Stimulus for release from posterior pituitary:
- •Impulses from hypothalamus in response to cervical/uterine stretching; suckling of infant at breast
Function:
- •Uterine contractions (labour); milk ejection
- •Psychoactive effects: promotes nurturing, bonding and trust