Section 6 Flashcards
What are the two main periods of rapid growth?
The first two years of life and during puberty.
When does the second period of rapid growth occur?
During puberty.
Is there a significant difference in male and female height or weight before puberty?
No, there is little difference in male and female height or weight prior to puberty.
What experiences a large acceleration during puberty?
The lengthening of long bones.
What supports pubertal growth in both males and females?
Growth hormone and androgens.
What is the primary androgen responsible for stimulating growth in females?
DHEA, released from the adrenal cortex.
What is the primary androgen responsible for stimulating growth in males?
Testosterone, which is much more potent than DHEA.
Among the hormones produced by the anterior pituitary, which is the most abundant?
Growth hormone.
What are the three primary metabolic actions of growth hormone?
- Increased rate of protein synthesis
- Increased fatty acid mobilization and use
- Decreased rate of glucose use by body tissues
How does growth hormone affect protein synthesis?
It increases the rate of protein synthesis.
What impact does growth hormone have on fatty acid metabolism?
It increases fatty acid mobilization and use.
How does growth hormone affect glucose utilization by body tissues?
It decreases the rate of glucose use by body tissues.
During prolonged fasting, why is the shift in metabolic effects of growth hormone important?
It preserves glucose for the brain by primarily using fat stores for metabolism.
What soft tissue actions can growth hormone have on tissues sensitive to its stimulation?
Growth hormone can induce hyperplasia (increase in the number of cells) and hypertrophy (increase in cell size) in sensitive soft tissues.
True or false: Bone is an inert tissue
FALSE: it is an active and dynamic tissue.
What are the two cell types responsible for the dynamic nature of bone?
1) Osteoblasts - responsible for depositing new bone.
2) Osteoclasts - responsible for dissolving bone.
What is the term for the process by which bone is almost constantly being remodeled?
Remodeling.
How is bone characterized in terms of vascularity?
Bone is highly vascularized.
What are osteoblasts responsible for?
Osteoblasts deposit new bone.
What is the role of osteoclasts in bone activity?
Osteoclasts dissolve bone.
Can bone growth lead to both an increase in thickness and length?
Yes, bone growth can lead to either an increase in thickness or length.
How is bone growth in thickness achieved?
By adding new bone to the outer layer of existing bone.
What is the role of osteoblasts in bone growth in thickness?
Osteoblasts deposit new bone on the outer surface of the existing bone
What is the role of osteoclasts in bone growth in thickness?
Osteoclasts on the inside of the bone remove bone during the process of growth in thickness.
What is the Marrow Cavity, also known as the medullary cavity?
The central cavity of bone shafts where red bone marrow and/or yellow bone marrow (adipose tissue) is stored.
What increases as a result of bone growth in thickness?
Both the diameter of the bone and the marrow cavity increase.
Where does the lengthening of long bones occur?
At the ends of long bones, between the epiphysis and the diaphysis, in the epiphyseal plate.
What are the cartilage-forming cells in the region of bone growth in length called?
Chondrocytes.
How do chondrocytes divide in the epiphyseal plate during bone growth in length? What side are the new cells towards, and what side are the older cells towards?
Chondrocytes divide and stack themselves in columns, with newer cells towards the epiphysis and older cells near the diaphysis.
What causes long bones to elongate during bone growth in length?
The division and increase in the number of chondrocytes.
What happens as chondrocytes mature during bone growth in length?
They hypertrophy, pushing the epiphysis away from the diaphysis, and the matrix around them calcifies.
Why do older chondrocytes eventually die during bone growth in length?
Cartilage itself is not highly vascularized, and older chondrocytes become too far away from the nutrient supply.
What happens after the removal of dead chondrocytes and calcified matrix during bone growth in length?
Osteoclasts remove the dead chondrocytes and calcified matrix, allowing osteoblasts and their capillary supply to invade the space and start depositing bone through ossification.
What marks the end of linear bone growth in length?
At the end of adolescence, sex hormones cause the epiphyseal plates to completely ossify, and linear bone growth ceases. Thickening of bone can occur throughout life.
What aspects of bone does growth hormone promote?
Growth hormone promotes both the thickness and length of bone.
Is there controversy regarding the direct effect of growth hormone on chondrocytes in cell culture?
Yes, there is controversy; chondrocytes in cell culture do not respond to growth hormone application experimentally.
How are the effects of growth hormone on bone growth mediated?
The effects of growth hormone on bone growth are mediated through other peptides known as somatomedins, also called insulin-like growth factors (IGFs).
What are the two types of IGFs?
IGF-I and IGF-II.
Where is IGF-I primarily synthesized and released?
IGF-I is primarily synthesized and released in the liver, stimulated by growth hormone.
Can other tissues produce IGF-I?
Yes, most other tissues can produce IGF-I when stimulated by growth hormone, but they do not release it into the blood; it may have paracrine actions.
Which type of IGF mediates most of the growth-promoting actions of growth hormone?
IGF-I mediates most of the growth-promoting actions of growth hormone.
Does growth hormone stimulate the production of IGF-II?
No, growth hormone does not stimulate the production of IGF-II.
What is an important role of IGF-II?
IGF-II is important during fetal development.
What is the definition of paracrine?
Paracrine is a type of hormone that has effects only in the vicinity of the gland secreting it.
What are the two regulatory hormones for growth hormone from the hypothalamus?
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates its release.
- Growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH; aka somatostatin) inhibits its release.
How can growth hormone secretion be increased?
To increase growth hormone secretion, you can either increase GHRH or decrease GHIH.