Physiology Flashcards
What are the five types of hormonal signalling pathways?
Endocrine Neuroendocrine Paracrine Autocrine Intracrine
What is the endocrine pathway?
Hormones travel via bloodstream to distant target cells
What is the neuroendocrine pathway?
Hormones released by synapse into bloodstream and act on distal target cells
What is the paracrine pathway?
Hormones secreted by a cell act on adjacent cells
What is the autocrine pathway?
Hormones act on same cell that produced them
What is the intracrine pathway?
Hormones work within source cell
What endocrine organs are under control of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis?
Thyroid
Adrenal cortex
Gonadal glands
The pituitary trophic hormones stimulate release of glandular hormones which then feedback
Which endocrine organs generally stand alone?
Pancreas
Parathyroid glands
What structures make up the thyroid gland?
Follicles which consits of:
- central lumen: stores thyroid hormones
- follicular cells: surround lumen and secrete T3 and T4 which are made from iodides
Parafollicular C cells: squeezed inbetween follicles which secrete Calcitonin
What hormones do the thryroid gland secrete and what are the secreted in response to?
T3: Triiodotyronine
T4: Thyroxine
Secreted in response to TSH which is secreted from the anterior pituitary
How do the thyroid hormones travel in the blood?
Carried by Thyroxine Binding Globulin as hydrophobic
What effect do thyroid hormones have?
Stimulate increase of metabolism
- fat and carbohydrate breakdown
- protein synthesis
What affect does calcitonin have?
Decrease Ca2+ levels when high
- increase bone deposition and increased excretion
What hormone does the parathyroid gland produce?
Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
What does PTH do?
PTH increases plasma Ca2+ and decreased (PO4)2- levels when Ca2+ is low
- incr. osteoclast activity
- decr. Ca2+ excretion and increased (PO4)2- excretion
- incr. vitD production => increased Ca2+ absorption
What are the two layers of the adrenal gland?
Adrenal cortex (outer)
- outer = zona glomerulosa
- middle = zona fasciculata
- inner = zona reticularis
Adrenal medulla (inner)
What is the role of the adrenal medulla?
Produces catecholamines
- adrenaline (80%)
- noradrenaline (20%)
What is the role of the adrenal cortex?
Produce steroids
- glucocordicoids e.g. cortisol
- mineralocorticoids e.g. aldosterone
- sex hormones = oestrogen, androgens, progestogens
Which layers secrete what in the adrenal cortex?
Zona glomerulosa = mineralocorticoids
Zona fasciculata = glucocorticoids
Zona reticularis = sex hormones