The endocrine system Flashcards
What are the two main regulatory systems in our bodies?
nervous system and endocrine system
What does the endocrine system do?
produces and secretes hormones from glands
Why are hormone actions slow in comparison to cell action?
Cells in endocrine system may be far away from parent cells therefore relying on bloodstream to get hormones to target cells
What are the three types of hormone action?
Autocrine- hormone acts on parent cell, parent cell secretes hormone
Paracrine- hormone acts on local cells- reaching by diffusion
Endocrine- hormone secreted into bloodstream and acts on distant cells
What must target cells have?
right receptors for right hormones
lots of different types of receptors on their bodies
What are the three hormone chemical groups?
Steroids, Amines, Peptides
Are amines lipid based?
no they derive from amino acids
Do steroids derive from cholesterol?
yes- have similar structure to cholesterol
Peptides are…
protein hormones
Amines have a simple structure- true or false?
true
Peptides are a short chain of amino acids and include small proteins- true or false?
true
What factors affect hormone levels in blood?
Hormones binding to proteins (globulins)
follow different patterns of secretion
not all hormones are cleared from blood at same rate
What are prostaglandins?
secreted by tissues in response to injury
Why do hormones bind to proteins (globulins)?
prevents them from being broken down /metabolised
preserves their biological activity
Hormones binding to proteins (globulins) is a reversible process- true/false?
true
