Mechanism of Hormone Regulation Flashcards
Five Functions of the Endocrine System
- Differentiate reproductive and CNS during fetus development
- Coordinate male and female reproductive systems
- Stimulate growth and development during children and teens
- Maintained optimal internal environment
- Initiate corrective responses when emergency demand occurs
Hypothalamic-pituitary- target glands axis
forms the structural and functional basis for central integration of the neurologic and endocrine systems, creating what is called the neuroendocrine system
Hormone release is regulated by one or more of the following mechanism
(1) chemical factors (i.e., blood glucose or calcium levels)
(2) endocrine factors (a hormone from one endocrine gland controlling another endocrine gland)
(3) neural control.
An example of chemical regulation
insulin is secreted following chemical stimulation by increased plasma glucose levels
An example of endocrine regulation
Cortisol from the adrenal cortex regulates and stimulates insulin secretion from beta cells within the pancreas.
An example of neural control
The autonomic nervous system directly stimulates the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas
Negative feedback
most common
a decrease in the production of hormones as s result of a signal from another hormone
Positive Feedback
occurs when a neural, chemical, or endocrine response increases the synthesis and secretion of a hormone
The protein (peptide) hormones
are water soluble
generally circulate in free (unbound) forms
have a short half-life of seconds to minutes because they are catabolized by circulating enzymes.
e.g. insulin
Lipid-soluble hormones
are transported bound to a carrier protein and can remain in the blood for hours to days.
e.g. cortisol
Hormone receptors of the target cell have two main functions:
(1) to recognize and bind with high affinity to their particular hormones
(2) to initiate a signal to appropriate intracellular effectors
upregulation
Low concentrations of hormone increase the number of receptors per cell
downregulation
high concentrations of hormone decrease the number or affinity of receptors
Water-soluble hormones
are proteins that are polarized with a high molecular weight
cannot diffuse across the lipid layer of the cell (plasma) membrane
interact or bind with receptors in or on the cell membrane and activate a second messenger to mediate short-acting responses
lipid-soluble steroids
diffuse freely across the plasma and nuclear membranes and bind the cytosolic or nuclear receptors
first messenger
Water-soluble hormone binding with the plasma membrane receptor initiates a complex cascade of intracellular effects
second messenger
conveys the signal from the receptor to the cytoplasm and nucleus of the cell and mediates the effect of the hormone on the target cell
Second messengers include
1) cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)
(2) cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), calcium
(3) inositol triphosphate (IP3) and membrane-associated diacylglycerol (DAG)
(4) the tyrosine kinase system
lipid-soluble hormones
synthesized from cholesterol
include glucocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, progestins, mineralocorticoids, vitamin D, and retinoid
steroid hormones can cross the plasma and nuclear membranes by simple diffusion because
they are relatively small, nonpolar, lipophilic, hydrophobic molecules
The binding of hormones with their receptors stimulates three general types of effects by:
- Acting on preexisting channel-forming proteins to alter membrane channel permeability
- Activating preexisting proteins through a second-messenger system
- Activating genes to cause protein synthesis
Direct effects
obvious changes in cell function that specifically result from stimulation by a particular hormone
e.g. insulin has a direct effect on skeletal muscle cells, causing increased glucose transport into these cells
Permissive effects
less obvious hormone-induced changes that facilitate the maximal response or functioning of a cell
e.g. insulin has a permissive effect on mammary cells, facilitating their response to the direct effects of prolactin
hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA)
forms the structural and functional basis for the central integration of the neurologic and endocrine systems
produces a number of releasing/inhibitory hormones and tropic hormones that affect a number of diverse body functions