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MCAT > Endrocrine System > Flashcards

Endrocrine System Flashcards

1
Q

Organs of endocrine system are called?

A

Glands

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2
Q

Where are hormones secreted into?

A

Bloodstream

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3
Q

Do hormones target close or far tissues?

A

Far

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4
Q

What are the three chemical identities of hormones?

A
  1. Peptides
  2. Steroids
  3. Amino Acid Derivatives
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5
Q

Are peptide hormones charged? How does this affect the way they leave and enter cells?

A

Yes - leave cells by exocytosis and then bind to extracellular receptors

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6
Q

First and second messengers in peptide hormones

A

First messenger - peptide hormone itself, binds to a receptor and triggers the transmission of a second signal
Second messenger - this second signal triggered by the peptide hormone

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7
Q

Examples of second messengers

A

cAMP
IP3
Calcium

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8
Q

What type of hormone is insulin?

A

Peptide hormone

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9
Q

What type of hormone is ADH?

A

Peptide hormone

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10
Q

What enzyme affects the levels of cAMP?

A

Adenylate cyclase

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11
Q

What receptor affects the levels of cAMP?

A

G-protein coupled receptors

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12
Q

Are peptide hormone responses fast or slow?

A

Fast

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13
Q

Are peptide hormone responses long or transient?

A

Transient (due to secondary messenger cascades)

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14
Q

Are peptide hormones hydrophobic or hydrophilic? How does this affect the way they travel through the body?

A

Hydrophilic - can travel freely in the bloodstream

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15
Q

What are steroid hormones derived from?

A

Cholesterol

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16
Q

Where are steroids produced?

A

Gonads and adrenal cortex

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17
Q

Are steroid hormones charged? How does this affect the way they leave and enter cells?

A

No - they can easily cross the cell membrane and have receptors within the cell

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18
Q

What do steroid receptors do in the cell once bound?

A

Undergo a conformational change and bind directly to DNA

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19
Q

Are steroid hormone responses fast or slow?

A

Slow

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20
Q

Are steroid hormone responses long or transient?

A

Long

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21
Q

Are steroid hormones hydrophobic or hydrophilic? How does this affect the way they travel through the body?

A

Hydrophobic - must travel on proteins through the blood

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22
Q

Are steroid hormones active when bound to a carrier protein?

A

No

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23
Q

Examples of amino acid derived hormones?

A

Epi

Norepi

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24
Q

What are examples of catecholamines?

A

Epi and norepi

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25
Q

What receptors do catecholamines bind to?

A

G-protein coupled receptors

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26
Q

What receptors do thyroid hormones bind to?

A

Intracellular

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27
Q

What are tropic hormones?

A

Hormones that require an intermediary and do not directly affect the muscle/bone

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28
Q

What gland does the hypothalamus have a direct affect on?

A

Pituitary - anterior and posterior

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29
Q

How are the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary connected?

A

Hypophyseal portal system - release of hormones

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30
Q

Where is GnRH released from and what gland and hormone does it affect?

A

Released from hypothalamus and acts on anterior pituitary to release FSH and LH

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31
Q

Where is GHRH released from and what gland and hormone does it affect?

A

Released from hypothalamus and acts on anterior pituitary to release GH

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32
Q

GHRH hormone

A

Growth-hormone-releasing hormone

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33
Q

GnRH hormone

A

Gonadatropin-releasing hormone

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34
Q

Where is TRH released from and what gland and hormone does it affect?

A

Released from hypothalamus and acts on anterior pituitary to release TSH

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35
Q

TRH hormone

A

Thyroid-releasing hormone

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36
Q

TSH hormone

A

Thyroid-stimulating hormone

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37
Q

Where is CRF released from and what gland and hormone does it affect?

A

Released from hypothalamus and acts on anterior pituitary to release ACTH

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38
Q

CRF hormone

A

Corticotropin releasing factor

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39
Q

ACTH hormone

A

Adrenocorticotropic hormone

40
Q

Where is PIF released from and what gland and hormone does it affect?

A

Released from hypothalamus and acts on anterior pituitary to decrease prolactin secretion

41
Q

PIF hormone

A

Dopamine - Prolactin-inhibiting factor

42
Q

Axes in endocrine system

A

Three-organ systems

43
Q

How are the hypothalamus and posterior pituitary connected?

A

Neurons in hypothalamus send neurons directly to anterior pituitary

44
Q

What hormones does the posterior pituitary release?

A

Oxytocin and ADH

45
Q

ADH hormone

A

Antidiuretic hormone

46
Q

Oxytocin effects

A

Stimulates uterine contractions, lactation, bonding behavior

47
Q

ADH effects

A

Increase reabsorption of water in the collecting ducts of kidneys

48
Q

What is ADH secreted in response to in the blood?

A

Increased blood osmolarity - provides water to decrease this osmolarity

49
Q

Where is prolactin secreted from?

A

Anterior pituitary

50
Q

What does prolactin do?

A

Stimulate milk production in the mammary glands

51
Q

How does lactation begin after birth?

A

Delivery of the placenta leads to a significant decrease in estrogen, progesterone, and dopamine - this (esp dopamine) decrease allows prolactin to stimulate milk production

52
Q

Where are endorphins secreted from?

A

Anterior pituitary

53
Q

Where is growth hormone secreted from?

A

Anterior pituitary

54
Q

Acromegaly

A

Growth of small bones in adults due to effects of lasting growth hormone after the large bones have closed during puberty

55
Q

What hormone has an unusual positive feedback loop?

56
Q

What are the two main functions of the thyroid?

A
  1. Setting basal metabolic rate

2. Promoting calcium homeostasis

57
Q

What molecules does the thyroid release to set metabolic rate?

58
Q

What molecules does the thyroid release to promote calcium homeostasis?

A

Calcitonin

59
Q

How are T3 and T4 produced?

A

Iondination of tyrosine

60
Q

Where does Iondination of tyrosine occur?

A

Follicular cells of thyroid

61
Q

How do increased levels of T3 and T4 affect metabolism?

A

Increase the rate of cellular respiration and thus increase the rate of synthesis and degradation of proteins and fatty acids

62
Q

Cretinism

A

Intellectual disability and developmental delay caused by deficiency in thyroid hormones

63
Q

Where in the thyroid is calcitonin produced?

A

C-cells

Parafollicular cells

64
Q

What does calcitonin do to blood calcium levels?

65
Q

How does calcitonin affect blood calcium levels?

A
  1. Increase excretion from kidneys
  2. Increasing storage in bones
  3. Decreasing calcium absorption in gut
66
Q

PTH hormone

A

Parathyroid hormone

67
Q

PTH function

A
  1. Raises blood calcium levels (opposite mechanism of calcitonin)
  2. Phosphorus homeostasis
  3. Activation of vitamin D
68
Q

What is the function of vitamin D?

A

Absorption of calcium and phosphate in the gut

69
Q

Where are the adrenal glands located?

A

On top of the kidneys

70
Q

What type of hormone does the adrenal cortex secrete?

A

Cortiocosteroids

71
Q

Three classes of corticosteroids

A

Glucocorticoids
Mineralocorticoids
Cortical sex hormones

72
Q

What is the function of glucocorticoids?

A

Regulate blood glucose levels and affect protein metabolism

73
Q

Where are glucocorticoids secreted from?

A

Adrenal cortex

74
Q

What are two glucocorticoids?

A

Cortisol and cortisone

75
Q

What class of hormones is cortisol?

A

Glucocorticoid

76
Q

What class of hormones is cortisone?

A

Glucocorticoid

77
Q

How do cortisol and cortisone function?

A

Increase glucogenesis and decrease protein synthesis

78
Q

What controls the release of glucocorticoids?

A

ACTH (which is stimulated by CRF)

79
Q

What is the function of mineralocorticoids?

A

Affect salt and water homeostasis primarily through the kidney

80
Q

What is an important mineralocorticoid?

A

Aldosterone

81
Q

What is the function of aldosterone?

A

Increase sodium and water resorption - osmolarity remains the same, increases blood volume and pressure

82
Q

What is a difference between aldosterone and ADH?

A

ADH changes blood osmolarity by only affecting water and aldosterone does not by affecting both sodium and water

83
Q

What controls the release of mineralocorticoids?

A

Renin (kidney) - angiotensin (I to II in the lungs) - aldosterone system

84
Q

Are males or females more sensitive to disorders of cortical sex hormone pathways?

A

Females - males get a lot of testosterone from the testes and don’t rely on the adrenal glands as much as females

85
Q

What class of enzymes are androgens and testosterone?

A

Cortical sex hormones, corticosteroids, adrenal hormones

86
Q

Where are epi and norepi produced?

A

Adrenal medulla

87
Q

What two hormones are important to stress response and what are the differences between the two?

A

Cortisol - long term and slow response

Catecholamines (epi and norepi) - short term and long response

88
Q

What are islets of Langerhans?

A

Small clusters of hormone-producing cells in the pancreas

89
Q

What types of cells do the islets of Langerhans contain?

A

Alpha - Glucagon
Beta - Insulin
Delta - Somatostatin

90
Q

Where specifically is glucagon secreted from?

A

Alpha cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas

91
Q

Where specifically is insulin secreted from?

A

Beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas

92
Q

Where specifically is somatostatin secreted from?

A

Delta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas

93
Q

When is glucagon secreted?

A

Fasting - increases glucose production

94
Q

Would hyperglycemia be caused by increased or decreased insulin activity?

95
Q

What cells would be affected in someone with Type-I diabetes?

A

Beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas

96
Q

What is the function of somatostatin?

A

Inhibitor of insulin and glucagon

97
Q

What does the pineal gland secrete?

MCAT (31 decks)

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