Hormonal Communication Flashcards
What are the four main types of communication in the body?
Endocrine
Nervous
Autocrine
Paracrine
What are the two main types of communication in body? (I know I said there were four before, but these are the biggies)
Endocrine Nervous
What is the mechanism of action for nervous communication?
Action potentials
What is the afferent branch?
Signal direction towards the brain
What is autocrine communication?
Variety of agents released by cells have effect on cell itself
What is paracrine communication?
Hormones released locally rather than directly into the blood
What are the three roles of a control center in the body? Name two control centers, and what they control
Determine set reference point of chemical levels
Analyses signals from afferent branch
Determines appropriate response
Hypothalamus involved in endocrine control.
Medulla involved in cardiovascular and respiratory.
What is a receptor used for?
To detect stimuli, such as changes in environment
Name three examples of receptors
Chemo, pressure and temperature
What is an effector?
An agent that controls change
What is the pathway from control center once response has been decided?
Control –> Efferent nervous pathway –> Effector
What does loss of efferent pathway use do in paraplegic patients?
Sweat glands cannot be controlled, so reduces ability of paraplegic patients to lose heat
What is negative feedback, and how common is it?
Effectors oppose stimulus
Occurs in most homeostatic control systems
What are the two advantages of negative feedback?
Give stability to control systemsAllow a point to be controlled within fine limits
What is hunting behaviour and what is it indicative of?
Occurs in negative feedback when levels overshoot set points several times before rest. Indicative of dynamic equilibrium.
What is positive feedback?
Stimulus produces a response which increases its effect
How fast is the change caused by positive feedback?
Rapid
Give two examples of positive feedback in the body
Ovulation and blood clotting cascade
Give two examples of negative feedback in body
Hyperglycaemia stimulates insulin releaseBody water homeostasis
Where is biological clock situated in body? (think chasm)
Suprachiasmaic nucleus in hypothaamus
Give three examples of biological rhythmns
Cortisol levels vary throughout the day. Peak at 7 am and trough at 7 pm. So, blood cortisol levels should be measured at same time each day.
Menstrual cycle varies over month. Woman’s core body temperature varies during cycle and can be used as a marker of ovulation.
Melatonin released from pineal gland in response to light and dark
What do you have to do when measuring cortisol levels in patients and why?
Take measurement same part of day, varies throughout day (peaking at 7 am, troughing at 7pm)
How many litres of water in normal healthy 70KG male?
42
How many litres of blood in heathy 70 kg male?
4.6
What is an increase in blood osmolarity?What happens when it is detected?
Increase in conc (not enough water)
Osmoreceptors in hypothalamus detect decrease in water potential (increased osmolarity)
ADH (vasopressin) is released from the posterior pituitary Causes increase in permeability of collecting ducts to water, increasing reabsorption of water from the urine into the blood
Makes urine more concentrated
Where is ADH released from?
Posterior pituitary
What is ADH released in response to?
Increased blood osmolarity
What does ADH do?
Causes increase in permeability of collecting ducts in kidney to water, increasing reabsorption of water
What is a HORMONE?
Chemical messengers travel via blood stream
Outline Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis
Hypothalmus Corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) Anterior pituitary Adrenocorticotrophic hormone Adrenal cortex Cortisol Inhibits anterior pituitary
What are two factors which control hormone secretion?
•Change in a variable regulated by a hormone •Concentration of hormone itself or another hormone
Why do hormones bind with proteins in the blood?
Mostly not soluble enough to dissolve
Name two hormones which exhibit specific binding to proteins
Steroid and thyroid hormones
Give three reasons why hormones bind with protein carriers
•Increases solubility of hormone in plasma
•Increases half life of hormone
Serves as readily accessible reserve
Name four main types of hormone(PAGS)
Polypeptide hormone
Glycoprotein hormones
Amino acid derivatives
Steroids
Why is the largest hormone group?
Polypeptide
What do polypeptide hormones consist of?
Short or long single chain(s) of amino acids
Give two types of polypeptide hormone
Insulin and Glucagon(also GSH and placental lactogen)
What do glycoprotein hormones consist of?
Large two chained protein molecules with carbohydrate sidechains