Endocrinology Flashcards
Familiarize with hormones in the endocrine system
Prolactin
- Anterior pituitary - milk secretion?
GHRH
- Hypothalamus
- Increase growth hormone
- peptide
Somatastatin
- hypothalamus
- Decrease growth hormone
Cortisol
- What triggers release?
- Pathway for Cortisol production
- Type of Hormone
- What it does
- Stress and low blood glucose. (if we are ready for fight-or-flight, we better make sugar for energy)
- CRH release(hypothalamus) → ACTH production(adrenal medulla) → Cortisol release(blood)
- Peptide
- Facilitates gluconeogenesis, suppresses immune system. As fasting continues, protein and fat breakdown can occur.
ADH
- Posterior Pituitary
- increase Aquaporins on the collecting duct
- triggered by osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus
First, it increases the amount of solute-free water reabsorbed back into the circulation from the filtrate in the kidney tubules of the nephrons. Second, AVP constricts arterioles, which increases peripheral vascular resistance and raises arterial blood pressure.[6][7][8]
Oxytocin
- Posterior Pituitary
- causes the uterus to contract
T3 and T4
- What triggers release?
- Give the pathway for T3 and T4 release
- Type of Hormone (hydrophillicity)
- What it does
- Low T3 levels and low metabolic rate
- TRH release (Hypothalamus) → TSH release (Anterior pituitary) → T3, T4 release (Thyroid)
- Phobic thyroid
- It increases the body’s metabolic rate.
T3 is an important factor in metabolism as it regulates many protein syntheses
How does the body regulate Ca2+ levels? (Use low Ca2+ levels as an example)
- What are the 3 major hormones at play?
- Describe the pathway
- PTH (parathyroid), vitamin D (kidneys), Calcitonin
- Low Ca2+ levels →
- Increased PTH release from parathyroid leads to 2 effects:
- Increased Vitamin D from) kidney (to aid active Ca2+ reabsorption
- Decreased Calcitonin from the C cells of the thyroid (when calcitonin is around, osteoclasts are inhibited)
- Increased PTH release from parathyroid leads to 2 effects:
Insulin
- Pancreas
- Decrease blood glucose levels, by letting into tissues
- Describe the production of T3 and T4 in follicle cells and
- It’s entrance into up-regulated cells
- Iodine is sequestered in the lumen of the thyroid follicles at all times. I2 is made in this thyroid lumen and interconverted into an iodized product. It is then re-uptaken into the follicle cell cytoplasm where it is cleaved into T4 and T3
- T4 and T3 are put into the blood at a ratio of 70% : 30%. T4 is inactive, T3 is active. T4 is transported into a cell and interconverted into active T3. It is then sent to the Nucleous for DNA influence on protein synthesis.
- Explain Short feedback and Long feedback Loops.
- Give 2 major examples
- Short feedback loops are when the AP hormone turns off the Hypothalamus. Long feedback loops are when the 3rd hormone acts on the AP and/or the Hypothalamus.
- Thyroid control and Growth hormones
- T3 and T4 shut down is Long feedback. It’s presence shuts down Hypo. and AP.
- Reproductive organs secrete 2 different feedback hormones.
Describe feedback loops as they pertain to reproductive hormones
- Males: GnRH (Hypo.) → LH and FSH (AP) → Testosterone and inhibin (Testis)
- Testosterone imposes a long neg. feedback on both glands
- Inhibin imposes a long neg. feedback on AP only
- Females: GnRH (Hypo.) → LH and FSH (AP) → Progesterone, Inhibin and Estrogen (Ovaries)
- Progesterone imposes a long neg. feedback on both glands
- Inhibin imposes a long neg. feedback on AP
- Estrogen imposes a long pos. feedback on Hypothalamus
FSH and LH
- What triggers release?
- Give the pathway for FSH and LH release and where its signal effects
- Type of Hormone (hydrophillicity)
- What it does
- Growth and development
- GnRH (Hypo.) → FSH and LH (AP) → testosterone and inhibin (testis) or Progesterone, Inhibin and Estrogen (ovaries)
- Hydrophillic
- It Triggers release of hormones that are required for growth and development
How does growth hormone influence our body?
- It influences metabolism similar to Cortisol
Explain the Insulin pathway
- Insulin acts as a ligand, binds to the outside of the cell.
- the insulin receptor is a tyrosine ligase, which activates vesicles that are full of GLUT 4
- GLUT 4 vesicle is excreted onto the membrane and this places facilitated transporters on the membrane for glucose
Compare GLUT 4 with other GLUTs
- type of transporter
- location
- what is needed for it to function?
- GLUT 4
- is a facilitated transporter
- Skeletal, cardiac and fat tissue
- gradient and insulin
- GLUT 2 (nonspecific; glucose or galactose) and GLUT 5 (specific; fructose)
- are carrier proteins for glucose on the membrane
- small intestine, liver and other places….
- gradient only dog!
What inflences to increase Insulin secretion (from islet beta cells)?
- Incretins secreted from the GI tract in anticipation of glucose. Increases insulin
- Sympathetic nerves fire when glucose is too low to stimulate glucose release from the liver
Describe permissive effects in the body (hormone interactions)
- Epi release causes changes in metabolism
- Thyroid release causes changes in metabolism
- Epi + Thyroid release causes huge changes in metabolism
What are Islet cells and what do they do in the Pancreas?
2 Types:
- Alpha - release glucagon
- Beta - release insulin
As far as metabolism goes, what can you associate the “fight-or-flight” response with?
- increased Glucose metabolism, *protein metabolism and *fat metabolism
*keep in mind that glucose is primarily effected
What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
- Type 1 is an innate lack of insulin
- Type 2 is receptor insensitivity to insulin
For Energy homeostasis in Excercise and Stress: draw 3 graphs plotting Glucose, Glucagon and Insulin over time.

What 3 issuse are associated with diabetes?
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Peripheral artery disease
- Poor blood flow will cause cell damage in capillaries. This is like having a rubber band on your finger for a long time
Diabetes Mellitus vs. Diabetes Insipidous
What can diabetes insipidous cause that is really bad?
- diabetes mellitus is a problem