Endocrine System Flashcards
endocrine system
- work with nervous to achieve homeostasis
- hormones released into bloodstream from ductless glands and travel throughout body
- results may take hours but last longer
hormone receptors
- hormone only affect target cells with specific membrane proteins called receptors
control of hormone secretion
- regulated by a self-adjusting mechanism called feedback loop
2 types of feedback loop
1) negative feedback loop
2) positive feedback loop
negative feedback loop
- stimulus starts process like an elevation in blood glucose
- hormone secreted in response is insulin
- insulin brings about a decrease in blood glucose
- end result is to negate the effects of stimulus
positive feedback loop
- only breastfeeding and childbirth
- stimulus doesn’t produce an opposite and counteracting effect
- stimulus accelerates the process until stimulus is removes
- then process halts
major endocrine organs
- pineal gland
- hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
- thyroid gland
- parathyroid gland
- thymus
- adrenal gland
- pancreas
- ovary/testis
hypothalamic control of endocrine system
- its the interface between nervous and endocrine system and the master gland of endocrine system
- controls and oversees most endocrine functions
- located in inferior region of diencephalon superior to pituitary gland
mechanisms of hypothalamic control
controls most endocrine activity in 3 ways
1) controls release of 6 regulatory hormones from anterior pituitary gland
2) secretes oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone from posterior pituitary gland
3) controls stimulation and secretion activities of adrenal medulla
pituitary gland
- hypophysis
- inferior to hypothalamus
- within sella turcica of sphenoid bones
- connected to hypothalamus by thin stalk called infundibulum
- anterior and posterior lobes
anterior/posterior pituitary gland
- anterior: pars tubercles, pars intermedia, pars distils
posterior: infundibular stalk, pars nervosa
hormones of anterior pituitary
- growth hormone (GH) (somatotropin)
- follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
- luteinizing hormone (LH)
- prolactin (PRL)
- adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)
- thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
growth hormone (GH)
- produced by somatotropin cells
- target cells are liver, skeletal muscle, cartilage, and bone
- increase cell growth and division by increasing their uptake of amino acids and synthesis of proteins
hypo/hyper secretion of GH
- hyposecretion= dwarfism
- hypersecretion= gigantism
follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
- released by gonadotrophs
- initiates formation of follicles in ovary
- stimulates follicle cells to secrete estrogen
- stimulates sperm production in testes
luteinizing hormone (LH)
- produced by gonadotrophs
- in females it stimulates the secretion of estrogen and progesterone and triggers ovulation
- in males it stimulates the secretion of testosterone
prolactin (PRL)
- produced by lactotrophs
- causes milk production
- function in males unknown
adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
- secreted by corticotrophs
- stimulates cells of adrenal cortex that produce glucocorticoids
thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- secreted by thyrotrophs
- acts on thyroid
- stimulates production of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones that regulates metabolism of most body tissues
posterior pituitary
- has axon terminals of hypothalamic neurons
- release 2 neurotransmitters that enter capillaries:
1) antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
2) oxytocin (OT)