Introduction to the Endocrine System Flashcards
What is the role of hormones?
Hormones contribute to the function of everything in our body
What are three things hormones do?
- Turn children into adults
- Affect our passions
- Govern our appetites
The discovery of hormones - people had know that animals that were … could not develop secondary … characteristic
castrated
sexual
Arnold Adolph Berthold (1803-1861) performed what experiment with roosters?
testes transplanted into abdomens emasculated birds develop secondary sexual characterises indicating that the testes functioned effectively normally
in the experiment with roosters, what happened to the testes on autopsy?
they had developed a new vasculature
conclusion of experiment on roosters: whatever was controlling the secondary sexual characteristics was transported from … via the … This was considered to be what?
testes via the bloodstream
- this was the sexual hormone
Define ‘Hormone’
chemical messengers
The endocrine system is a system of … … which secrete chemical messengers (…) into the blood
ductless glands hormones
hormones are carried in the … and are able to act on cells possessing the appropriate hormone … (… …) Each hormone may act on several of these
blood receptors target tissues
Where are the endocrine glands?
distributed throughout the body
What is this image showing?
The endocrine glands

Where is the pituitary gland situated?
Below the brain, encased in skull

How much does the pituitary gland weigh?
0.5 grams
Hormones secreted from the pituitary gland help to control what? (9 things)
- Growth
- Blood Pressue
- Energy Management
- All Functions of the Sex Organs
- Thyroid Glands (therefore metabolism)
- Aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding
- Water/Salt concentration of the Kidneys
- Temperature Regulation
- Pain Relief
Christopher Paul Greener had pituitary …
gigantism
Christopher Paul Greener - where was his tumour?
pituitary
Christopher Paul Greener - what cured his tumour?
radiation cured the tumour - he stopped growing
Where are the thyroid and parathyroid glands situated?
In the neck

What are the thyroid and parathyroid glands important for?
Control of metabolic rate and calcium homeostasis
What is this image showing?

Thyroid gland
What gland can you see from the front only?
What gland can you see from the back only?
Thyroid
Parathryoid
How many parathyroid glands are there?
4

First successful treatment in endocrinology was for a disease related to the mysfunction of what gland?
thyroid gland
What is myxedema?
severely advanced hypothryoidism
The term also applies to the effects that hypothyroidism can have on the skin, making it appear swollen and puffy.







