Introduction to Endocrinology

Question 1

What is endocrinology [5]

Answer 1

the study of hormones / their gland of origin / their receptors / intracellular signalling pathways / their associated diseases

Question 2

What are the three types of hormone action? [3]

Answer 2

endocrine - acting on distant sites
paracrine - acting on adjacent cells
autocrine - acting on cell of origin

Question 3

What are the features of water soluble hormones? [4]

Answer 3

transported unbound / bind to cell surface receptors / stored in vesicles before secretion / peptides and amines

Question 4

What are the features of fat soluble hormones? [5]

Answer 4

transported bound to protein / diffuse into cells / bind to cytoplasm receptors or nuclear receptors / synthesised on demand / thyroid hormones and steroids

Question 5

What are the features of peptide hormones? [3]

Answer 5

water soluble / bind to cell surface receptors / insulin

Question 6

What are the features of amines? [3]

Answer 6

water soluble / bind to either alpha or beta receptors / noradrenaline and adrenaline

Question 7

What are the features of thyroid hormones? [4]

Answer 7

fat soluble / protein bound to thyroid binding globulin / bind to nuclear receptors / T3 and T4

Question 8

What are the features of vitamin D? [3]

Answer 8

fat soluble / transported by vitamin D binding protein / bind to nuclear receptors

Question 9

What are the features of steroids? [5]

Answer 9

fat soluble / protein bound / bind to cytoplasm receptors / initiates transcription of gene to mRNA / cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone

Question 10

Where are the hormone receptor locations and what binds to them? [3]

Answer 10

cell membrane - peptides and amines
cytoplasm - steroids i.e. glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens
nucleus - thyroid hormones, oestrogen, vitamin D

Question 11

Endocrine glands? [8]

Answer 11

pineal / pituitary / thyroid / thymus / adrenal / pancreas / ovary / testis