hormonal communication Flashcards
5 differences between hormonal and nervous system
hormones
1. long lasting effect
2. slow response
3. travel via bloodstream
4. irreversible and permanent
5. widespread response
nerves
1. short lived effect
2. fast response
3. transmission via neurons
4. reversible and temporary
5. localized response
what is a hormone?
- chemical messenger (e.g. steroid or protein) that is made by an endocrine gland and secreted directly into the bloodstream
- binds to specific receptors on target cells
exocrine gland
- makes secretions other than hormones
- secretions passed into a duct where it is needed
- e.g. enzymes into intestine
- not secreted into blood
endocrine gland
- secrets hormones directly into the bloodstream
- triggered by other hormones
thyroid gland
- produces thyroxine
- involved in thermoregulation
adrenal gland
- secretes adrenaline
- fight or flight response
what does the pancreas secret?
insulin and glucagon for regulation of blood glucose
pituitary gland
- ADH (anti diuretic hormone)
- regulates water balance
how can hormones bring about an effect to a target cell but not affect other types of cells?
- target cell has specific receptors on its cell surface membrane
- that are complementary to the hormone
- so hormone can only bind to these receptors
why do steroid hormones have a faster response on the target cell than the protein hormones?
- steroid hormones are lipid soluble
- so can pass through the cell surface membrane of the target cell
- to have a direct effect on the genes
- initiating a faster response
how do steroid hormones work?
- lipid soluble so can pass through cell membrane of target cell
- once inside cell, they bind to internal receptors in the cytoplasm or nucleus
- forming a “hormone-receptor complex”
- which acts like a transcription factor, turning genes on and off
- so they have a direct effect on the DNA in the cell
- so result in certain proteins being inhibited or produced
how do non-steroid hormones work?
- hydrophilic and not lipid soluble so cannot pass through cell membrane of target cell
- hormones are seen as the 1st messengers and they bind to receptors on the cell surface membrane as they have comp shapes
- they activate other molecules in the cell
- a G-protein is activated first
- then an enzyme (usually adenyl cyclase) is activated
- this catalyses the conversion of ATP to cyclic AMP
- which acts a secondary messenger and brings about the response of the hormone
- by acting on protein channels
- or by triggering a cascade of enzyme controlled reactions
examples of steroid hormones?
sex hormones
- progesterone
- testosterone
- oestrogen
describe the adrenal cortex
- outer region of adrenal gland
- produces hormones that are vital to life
-e.g. cortisol and aldosterone - involved in short term and long term responses to stress
- controlled by hormones from pituitary gland, which is in turn controlled by hypothalamus
3 things adrenal cortex releases
- glucocorticoids (cortisol)
- mineralcorticoids (aldosterone)
- androgens
glucocorticoids
- cortisol
- regulates metabolic rate and energy release from resp
- stimulates release of glucose from glycogen stores (to be used in resp)
- helps to regulate blood pressure
- suppresses immune system
- steroid hormone
mineralcorticoids
- aldosterone
- regulates salt and water balance
- so helps to control blood pressure
- steroid hormone
androgen
- small quantities of male and female sex hormones
- small impact on body
- steroid hormone
describe the adrenal medulla
- inner region of gland
- produces non-essential hormones
- like adrenaline
- which helps body to respond to stress
- involved in short term responses to stress
- releases adrenaline and noradrenaline which prepares body for action
- these are non-steroid hormones
what does adrenaline and noradrenaline cause?
- increased HR and SV to increase CO, more O2 to cells for resp to make ATP
- vasoconstriction of arterioles to increase blood pressure and the O2 delivery to cells per min
- dilating pupils to allow more light in to see better
- body hair stands erect to deter predators
- inhibition of gut