The Endocrine System Flashcards
What is sensitivity?
The ability to detect change and respond to the change.
What is the endocrine system?
A group of specialised tissues that produce chemicals called hormones.
What are hormones?
They are chemical ‘messangers’ produced in specialised glands and transported in the blood to a particular area.
What are endocrine glands often reffered to as?
Ductless glands
What is the difference between endocrine and exocrine glands.
Endocrine glands are ductless and exocrine glands have ducts to carry their secretions.
Give one example of an exocrine gland.
Salivary glands
What do hormones do?
They control mainly long term changes such as;
- growth
- metabolism
- sexual maturity
How are hormones disposed of?
On passing through the liver, the hormones are broken down and excreted by the kidneys.
In the relation to the thyroid gland, what does it produce and what does that do?
The thyroid gland produces thyroxine which stimulates metabolism.
With the parathyroid gland, what does it produce and what does that do?
The parathyroid gland produces the parathyroid hormone which increases blood calcium levels.
What does the brain do in the endocrine system?
The brain helps keep a check on the internal organs and activities such as carbon dioxide and water in the blood.
What are the two places in the brain that mainly control hormone response.
The hypothalamus and pituitary glands
What does the hormone ADH stimulate?
It stimulates water reabsorption in the kidney.
What does the hormone TSH stimulate?
It stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine.
What does the hormone FSH control?
It controls the functions of the reproductive system.
What kind of a gland is in the pancreas?
The pancreas is an endocrine and exocrine gland.
What is the endocrine part of the pancreas called and what does it produce?
It’s called the islets of langerhans and it produces insulin.
What do the exocrine parts of the pancreas produce?
It produces enzymes for digestion.
What does insulin stimulate?
It stimulates the cells to absorb glucose from the blood and to store it as glycogen.
What hormone does the adrenal gland produce and what does it stimulate?
It produces adrenaline, which stimulates the fight or flight response to help us come in emergencies.
What hormone does the ovary produce and what is it for?
It produces oestrogen and progesterone to prepare the female for pregnancy.
What hormone do the testes produce and what is it for?
It produces testosterone which triggers sperm production and growth in the male.
What happens when there is a low level of thyroxine in the body and how is it that you treat this low level of thyroxine?
Low levels of thyroxine reduces the rate of metabolism, this can be corrected by taking thyroxine in a tablet form once a day.
What happens when there is a high level of thyroxine in the body and how is it that you treat this high level of thyroxine?
Excess levels of thyroxine in the body can greatly increase metabolic rate, this can be treated by removing part of the gland.
