Hormonal communication. Flashcards
What is the endocrine system?
A communication system that uses hormones as signalling molecules
What are the two types of hormone and give examples.
- Protein and peptide hormones (adrenaline, insulin and glucagon)
- Steroid hormones (oestrogen and testosterone)
What is the difference between how steroid hormones and peptide hormones in how they pass over the membrane?
- Peptide hormones (proteins) are not soluble in the phospholipid membrane so they cannot enter the cell, instead they bind to the cell surface membrane and release a secondary messenger inside.
- Steroid hormones can pass through the membrane and enter the cell and nucleus
Endocrine glands are ductless, true or false ?
True
List the main endocrine glands in the body
- Pituitary gland
- Thyroid gland
- Adrenal glands
- Pancreas
- Ovaries
- Testes
What are the two types of glands in the body?
- Endocrine glands (release hormones)
- Exocrine glands (releases non-hormones into ducts)
How are signals detected from hormones
- NON-STEROID hormones move to target cells and will bind to specific receptors on the cell surface membrane complementary to the shape of the signalling molecule.
This binding initiates changes in the cell.
What are non-steroid hormones also known as?
First / primary messengers
Why are non-steroid hormones known as ‘first messengers’
- They are signalling molecules that bind to the outside of the cell surface membrane and initiates an effect from inside the cell
They usually cause the release of another signalling molecule in the cell, which is the ** second messenger** - this stimulates a change in the activity of the cell.
How do non-steroid hormones interact with G proteins
- Non-steroid hormones can act via a G protein in the membrane.
The G protein is activated when the hormone binds to a receptor.
The G protein will then activate an effector molecule (can be an enzyme that converts an inactive molecule into an active secondary messenger). - An example is adenyl cyclase, converting ATP to cAMP (cyclic AMP) which is a second messenger
What can a second messenger do?
Act directly on another protein (such as an ion channel) or initiate a cascade of enzyme controlled reactions that alter the activity of the cell
What are the two main sections of the adrenal gland?
- The adrenal cortex (outer layer)
- The adrenal medulla (inner layer)
What layers of cells are found in the adrenal cortex? (hard)
- Zona glomerulosa (outer layer)
- Zona fasciculata (middle layer)
- Zona reticularis (inner most layer)
What does each layer of the adrenal cortex secrete
- Zona glomerulosa: mineralcorticoids (such as aldosterone)
- Zona fasciculata: glucocorticoids (such as cortisol)
- Zona reticularis: precursor molecules to androgens
What does the adrenal medulla secrete?
- Adrenaline
- Noradrenaline