Metabolic and Endocrine System Anatomy Flashcards
What is the purpose of the Metabolic System?
To break down complex organic compounds in order to generate energy for all bodily processes and enable the body to grow
What is catabolism and anabolism?
Catabolism is the process of breaking down organic compounds
Anabolism is the process of that combines simple molecules for tissue growth
What is the purpose of the endocrine system?
To secrete hormones throughout the body to maintain homeostasis via metabolism, response to stress, sexual reproduction, blood pressure, and water/salt balances
What is the difference in how the endocrine system and the nervous systems regulate homeostasis?
the endocrine system uses hormones which travel a long distance and can affect virtually all tissue types, the effects are slow but long lasting
In the nervous system the neurons secrete neurotransmitters that travels very short distances across a synapse and only effect muscle and glandular tissue, these effects are rapid and often short lived
Hypothalamus
What is it’s function?
Where is it located?
Function: responsible for regulation of the autonomic nervous system (body temp, appetite, sweating, thirst, sexual behavior, rage, fear, BP, sleep) and other glands through it’s effect on the pituitary gland
Location: part of the diencephalon below the thalamus and connects to the pituitary gland through the infundibular or pituitary stalk
Pituitary Gland
What is it’s function?
Where is it located?
Function: considered the most important gland of the endocrine system (master gland) and is influenced by emotions and seasonal changes, this gland secretes endorphins that act on the NS and reduce a person’s sensitivity to pain, also control ovulation and works as a catalyst for the testes and ovaries to create sex hormones
Location: the size of a pea and located at the base of the brain just beneath the hypothalamus, it consists of both an anterior (adenohypophysis) and posterior (neurohypophysis) gland
Thyroid Gland
What is it’s function?
Where is it located?
Function: produces thyroxine and triiodothyronine that act to control the rate at which cells burn the fuel from food, an increase in thyroid hormones will increase the rate of chemical reactions within the body
Location: on the anterior and lateral surfaces of the trachea immediately below the larynx and shaped like a bow tie with two lobes joined by the isthmus
Parathyroid Glands
What are their function?
Where are they located?
Function: produce parathyroid hormone which maintains the blood levels of calcium by absorbing calcium from bones to the blood, secretion is stimulated via hypocalcemia and inhibited by hypercalcemia, normal blood clotting, neuromuscular excitability and cell membrane permeability are dependent on normal calcium levels
Location: there are four parathyroid glands located on the lateral halves of the thyroid
Adrenal Glands
What are their function?
Where are they located?
Function: adrenal cortex secretes corticosteroids which regulate body’s water and sodium, response to stress, immune system, sexual development and function, and metabolism
-the adrenal medulla produces epinephrine that increases heart rate and blood pressure when there is an increase in stress
Location: two adrenal glands each is on top of a kidney, the outer portion is called the adrenal cortex and the inner portion is called the adrenal medulla, each secretes different hormones
Pancreas
What is it’s function?
Where is it located?
Function: secretes insulin (beta cells) and glucagon (alpha cells) to work in combination to ensure a consistent level of glucose within the bloodstream and properly maintain stores of energy within the body
Location: upper left quadrant of the abdominal cavity extending from the duodenum and spleen, the Islets of Langerhans are the hormone producing cells of the pancreas
Ovaries
What are their function?
Where are they located?
Function: provide estrogen and progesterone that contribute to regulation of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, estrogen helps develop and maintain female sex characteristics and progesterone maintains the lining of the uterus at the level necessary for pregnancy
Location: on each side of the uterus
Testes
What are their function?
Where are they located?
Function: secrete androgens (most importantly testosterone) that regulate body changes associated with sexual development and support the production of sperm
Location: in the scrotum between the upper thighs
