Endocrinology Flashcards
What are the three main groups of hormones?
Amino acid derivatives, steroids and proteins/polypeptides.
The pituitary gland consists of two lobes: the anterior and _______________.
Posterior
The release of vasopressin in the posterior pituitary is regulated by two things: ___________ and ____________.
Plasma osmolarity and blood volume/pressure.
Releasing factors are transported to the anterior lobe via the ____________.
Portal blood vessels
Where is the thyroid situated?
On either side of the trachea, just beneath the larynx.
Describe the function of the parathyroid glands.
They release the parathyroid hormone (PTH) which is used in regulating blood calcium concentrations.
Name the two active hormones secreted by the thyroid.
Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)
What are the five main actions of the thyroid hormone?
- Regulation of basal metabolic rate or (calorigenesis)
- Increased carbohydrate metabolism
- Increased fat breakdown
- Maturation of the CNS
- Maturation and growth of bones and development
What is secreted at each layer of the adrenal cortex?
Outer layer: aldosterone
Middle layer: cortisol
Inner layer: glucocorticoids and some sex steroids
Name the two peptide hormones secreted from the islets of Langerhans.
Insulin and glucose.
What are the two main actions of glucagon?
- It stimulates glycogen breakdown and gluconeogenesis in the liver.
- It stimulates lipid breakdown.
What do delta cells produce?
Somatostatin
Which pituitary trophic hormone is controlled by the secretion of thyroxine?
TSH
Oestrogen stimulates the release of which gonadotrophins?
LH and FSH
What is the function of calcitonin?
Controls calcium metabolism.
