Hormones Flashcards
What is a Hormone?
A chemical messenger
What is a target organ?
An organ that a hormone acts on or affects
What are the endoctrine glands?
Glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones into the blood
What does the pituitary gland do?
It is in the brain, and produces many hormones that regulate body conditions. It is sometimes called the “master gland”because these hormones act on other glands, directing them to release hormones that bring about change.
What is the thyroid gland?
This produces thyroxine which is involved in regulating things like metabolism, heart rate, and temperature. It is in the throat.
What is the adrenal gland?
It produces adrenaline
What does adrenaline do?
It prepares the body for “fight or flight”, by:
- Increasing heart rate
- Increasing blood pressure
- Increasing blood flow to the muscles
- Raised blood sugar level by stimulating the liver to change glycogen into glucose
What does the pancreas do?
It produces insulin
What does insulin do?
This is used to regulate the blood glucose level
What is homeostasis?
Homeostasis is about maintaining a constant internal environment, so cells cam carry out chemical reactions.
What does a body do on a cold day?
- Vasoconstriction - body delivers blood away from the surface of the skin to avoid losing heat
- Shivering: rapid muscle contraction to release heat
- Heart beats faster to deliver blood quicker
- Hairs stand up to trap a layer of warm air
What does the body do on a hot day?
- Sweat, to transfer heat from your body to the surrounding environment
- Vasodilation - blood vessels close to the skin’s surface widen to allow more heat to transfer to the environment
- Hairs lie flat
- Behaviour changes
What is glucose used for?
Glucose is used in respiration for energy
What is the formula for aerobic respiration?
Oxygen + Glucose —energy—> water + carbon dioxide
What is the formula for anaerobic respiration?
Glucose —energy—> lactic acid
What is insulin?
Hormone released by beta cells in pancreas to lower blood sugar levels
What is glucagon?
Hormone released by pancreas to raise blood sugar levels
What happens if you have low glucose levels?
Lack of energy
What happens if you have high glucose levels?
Water from cells goes into blood stream; dehydration
Blood sugar high fix?
- Detected in pancreas
- Pancreas produces insulin
- insulin makes liver and muscle cells take in glucose from your blood
- glucose turns to glucagon (storage form)
- glucose levels fall