Endocrine System Flashcards
Endocrine system, otherwise known as…
The Hormone System
What are the components of this system?
endocrine organs, hormones, receptors, endocrine glands
Define hormones
Chemical messengers that travel in the blood from the site of release to their target organs
Endocrine means..
‘ductless’ because the secreted product is secreted directly into the blood rather than locally through a duct
List the functions of the endocrine system
metabolism growth rate puberty and reproduction response to stress calcium homeostasis body fluid composition and blood volume
What is ‘signalling’?
Signalling between cells the occur in the body, that are classified according to the distance over which the signal travels
What are the three main types of signalling?
nervous
endocrine
local
Give two examples of a steroid hormone
oestrogen and testosterone
Give two examples of a polypeptide hormone
insulin and glucagon
Give two examples of a amino acid hormone
adrenaline and thyroid hormone
What are the two types of receptors?
membrane and cytoplasm
What are membrane receptors?
specialised protein molecules that facilitate communication between the cell and the extracellular environment
What are cytoplasm receptors?
location facilitators that are based within the cell itself
What provides central control of endocrine glands?
Hypothalamic and pituitary
The pituitary gland is often referred to as the…
‘master gland’ in the endocrine system that produces a number of hormones