Midterm Flashcards
who is the major player in establishing the concept of neurosecretion?
Geoffery Harris
Why is the pituitary gland referred to as the “master gland”?
It regulates may endocrine reflexes through its hormones
what is neurosecretion?
what is the difference between the anterior and the posterior pituitary?
- Anterior: endocrine gland of epithelial tissue
- Posterior: extension of neural tissue
What is the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis?
It connects the hypothalamus to the anterior pituitary via portal veins
Which hormones control the anterior pituitary?
CRH, TRH, Somatostatin, GnRH, GHRH, Dopamine, TSH
what happens in hypopituitarism
loss of all anterior pituitary function, including loss of oxytocin and ADH
What are ligan-gated ion channel receptors
receptors that open to allow specific ions to pass upon ligand binding
how do g protein-coupled receptors function?
they work with g proteins that transmit intracellular signals upon activation
what do protein kinase receptors do?
they transfer phosphate groups from ATP to tyrosine residues, triggering multiple signaling pathways
where are steroid hormone receptors located, and what is their function?
intracellular; they act as transcription factors to regulate gene expression
what defines neurotransmitters?
chemical messengers that communicate between neurons, synthesized in neurons, and released into synapses
what are the key characteristics of neuropeptides
larger, lower concentrations, modulatory, slow-acting, and often co-localized with other tansmitters
what are the primary functions of oxytocin
milk-letdown, social bonding, emotional behaviors, and cognition
what is the primary function of prolactin
milk secretion
