Endocrinology Flashcards
(119 cards)
hormone
- specific chemical secreted by a specific tissue
- chemical substance produced and released by endocrine cells, carried through body in blood and exerts regulatory influence on other cells it reaches through the blood
endocrine control
- slow and broadcast
- must circulate to target tissues and diffuse to effective concentrations within tissues before it can elicit a response
- released hormone into blood
- transported to target site
- brings about a certain effect
once hormone is released into blood…
- it is carried to virtually all cells in the body-> only those that have a receptor molecule for hormone respond
- some hormone signaling alters gene transcription and protein synthesis
half life
- time required for half of a set of recently secreted hormone molecules to be removed
target tissues
express hormone receptor molecules that bind the hormone
- any processing at tissue level
- receptor distribution
- sensitivity of target cell depends on the number of functional receptor molecules that target cell expression for the hormone
endocrine systems best suited for…
- long term resgulatory functions
- such as maintenance of blood sugar, blood osmolarity, reproductive potential… etc.
endocrinology studied by:
1) gland removal/replacement
2) effects from overdose (hypersecretion)
3) isolate and characterize specific molecules
4) spontaneous defects
5) cloning gene
6) detailing receptors/signal transduction
bioassay
measure of a hormone in a living system by measuring its effects on the system
- ex: bioassay for androgens with chick combs
- generate standard curve
- problems: subject to variability and sensitivity
chemical measured
HPLC, gas chromatography, mass spec
immunological measure
- RIA (Radioimmunoassay)–> develop antibody against hormone, determine percent binding, generate standard curve
- Elise (enzyme linked immunoadsorption assay)
- both very quantitative and sensitive
- Problem: may not be testing only biologically active substances
chemical regulators
- hormones
- neurosecretions (neuro-hormones released from neurosecretory tissue (ex: ADH, epi/NE), neurotransmitters (ex: Acetycholine, epi/NE))
- parahormones (local hormones, cytokines, H+, CO2)
- phytohormones
- cyclic nucleotides, 2nd messengers
- pheremones (released outside animals for communication within species)
- inorganics ex: Ca++
protein mode of action
- surface receptor
- signal transduction
- 2nd messenger
- transduce hormonal signal into response of target cell
steroid
- synthesized from cholesterol
- intracellular receptor
- new mRNA (interacts with target cells DNA to alter gene expression)
- lipid soluble (can diffuse through cell membrane)
- not stockpiled in vesicles prior to secretion-> when cell is stimulated to secrete steroid hormones, they are synthesized on demand and immediately secreted through diffusion through cell membrane
pituitary gland
- hypophysis
- master endocrine gland
- back of the roof of the mouth
- 2 parts: anterior and posterior
posterior pituitary
neural from the hypothalamus
anterior pituitary gland
derived from epidermal cells in the roof of the mouth
- embryologically derived from Rathke’s Pouch
- non neuronal endocrine tissue
adenohypophysis
- anterior lobe
- intermediate lobe
neurophypopysis
- intermediate lobe
- posterior lobe
median eminance
- forms part of the floor of the hypothalamus
- blood system to the anterior pituitary
anterior pituitary hormone
- STH (somatotropic hormone); growth hormone (influences growth and metabolism)
- TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)-> supports and maintains tissues of thyroid gland and stimulates the gland to secrete thyroid hormone
- ACTH (adrenal corticotropic hormone)
- Gonadotropic hormones (Gntps)-> FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH(lutenizing hormone)
- prolactin
- lipotropin, endorphins, enkephalins
intermediate lobe hormone
- produces one hormone
- MSH: melanophore stimulating hormone
posterior pituitary hormones
- ADH (antidiuretic hormone)-> vasopressin and vasotocin: limits production of urine and stimulates constriction of arterioles
- oxytocin: causes contraction of uterus during birth and ejection of milk by mammary glands
when neurosecretory cells are stimulated by neurons in brain they…
generate action potentials that propagate from hypothalamus to axon terminal in pars nervosa-> release hormone by exocytosis-> hormone diffuses into blood
hypothalamo-hypophysial portal system
- provides interface between brain and endocrine system
- blood system from the median eminence to the anterior pituitary
- hormones secretes by the hypothalamus are released into median eminence and carried via the protal system to the anterior pituitary