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2A - Endocrine System > The Pituitary Gland > Flashcards

The Pituitary Gland Flashcards

1
Q

What organs are the main organisers of the endocrine system?

A

Hypothalamus and pituitary gland

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2
Q

What is the hypothalamus connected to the pituitary gland by?

A

Stalk called the infundibulum

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3
Q

What are the 2 lobes of the pituitary gland?

A

Anterior and posterior pituitary

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4
Q

To the anterior and posterior pituitary, is hypothalamic communication neural or endocrine?

A

Neural to posterior pituitary

Endocrine to anterior pituitary

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5
Q

What are some key integrative functions of the hypothalamus and pituitary?

A
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6
Q

What do tropic hormones do?

A

Govern the release of another hormone

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7
Q

What kinds of hormones does the hypothalamus release?

A

Neurohormones

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8
Q

What kind of hormones does the posterior pituitary release?

A

Neurohormones (from hypothalamus)

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9
Q

What kind of hormones does the anterior pituitary release?

A

Endocrine hormones

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10
Q

What are the 2 forms of hypothalamic neurohormones?

A

Tropic

Non-tropic

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11
Q

Where do tropic hormones from the hypothalmus travel to?

A

Secreted into capillaries and travel to anterior pituitary

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12
Q

What do tropic hormones do?

A

Govern the relase of anterior pituitary hormones

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13
Q

Where do non-tropic hormones from the hypothalamus travel to?

A

Posterior pituitary (via axons of hypothalamic neurons)

Where they are released into the blood

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14
Q

What are 5 examples of tropic hypothalamic hormones?

A

Thyrotropic releasing hormone (TRH)

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)

Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GRH)

Prolactin releasing hormone (PRH)

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15
Q

What does TRH stand for?

A

Thyrotropin releasing hormone

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16
Q

What does CRH stand for?

A

Corticotropin releasing hormone

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17
Q

What does GHRH stand for?

A

Growth hormone releasing hormone

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18
Q

What does GnRH stand for?

A

Gonadotropin releasing hormone

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19
Q

What does PRH stand for?

A

Prolactin releasing hormone

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20
Q

What are 2 inhibiting tropic hypothalamic hormones?

A

Growth hormone inhibiting hormone (GHIH)

Dopamine

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21
Q

What does GHIH stand for?

A

Growth hormone inhibiting hormone

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22
Q

What is growth hormone inhibiting hormone (GHIH) also known as?

A

Somatostatin

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23
Q

What is dopamine also known as?

A

Prolactin inhibiting hormone (PIH)

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24
Q

What does PIH stand for?

A

Prolactin inhibiting hormone

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25
Q

What is the classification of all of the tropic hypothalamic hormones?

A

Peptides, except for dopamine which is an amine

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26
Q

How are hormones transfered from hypothalamus to anterior pituitary?

A

Through hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system (network of tiny vessels)

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27
Q

Contrast the anterior and posterior pituitary in terms of:

type of tissue

connections via

also called

size

A
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28
Q

Is the anterior or posterior pituitary larger?

A

Anterior makes up 2/3 of gland, posterior 1/3

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29
Q

What is the anterior pituitary also called?

A

Adenohypophysis

30
Q

What is the posterior pituitary also called?

A

Neurohypophysis

31
Q

What is production of anterior pituitary hormones controlled by?

A

Hypothalamus ‘releasing’ or ‘inhibiting’ tropic hormones (sometimes called factors

32
Q

What are the 6 hormones released by the anterior pituitary gland?

A

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

Luteinising hormone (LH)

Growth hormone (GH)

Prolactin

33
Q

What is the classification of anterior pituitary hormones?

A

All are peptides, 5 are also tropic hormones and dopamine is an amine

34
Q

What does TSH stand for?

A

Thyroid stimulating hormone

35
Q

What does ACTH stand for?

A

Adrenocorticotrophic hormone

36
Q

What does FSH stand for?

A

Follicle stimulating hormone

37
Q

What does LH stand for?

A

Luteinising hormone

38
Q

What does GH stand for?

A

Growth hormone

39
Q

What is thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) also called?

A

Thyrotropin

40
Q

What is adrenocorticotrophic hormone also called?

A

Corticotropin

41
Q

What is FSH and LH also called?

A

Gandotropins

42
Q

What does prolactin do?

A

Stimulates milk production from the breast during lactation

43
Q

What is the target organ of prolactin?

A

Mammary glands

44
Q

What is the target organ of GH?

A

Musculoskeletal system

45
Q

What is the target organ of TSH

A

Thyroid gland

46
Q

What is the target organ of ACTH?

A

Adrenal cortex

47
Q

What is the target organ of gonadotropins?

A

Gonads (ovary/testes)

48
Q

What does TSH cause?

A

Thyroid hormone (TH) release from thyroid

49
Q

What does addrenocorticotropic hormone cause?

A

Cortisol release from adrenal cortex

50
Q

What tropic and what direct effects does GH have?

A

Tropic - IGF-1 release from liver

Direct - tissue metabolism

51
Q

What tropic and what direct effect does luteinising hormone have?

A

Tropic - sex hormone release

Direct - regulation of reproductive function

52
Q

What are the 3 integration centres involved in the feedback control of the anterior pituitary?

A

Hypothalamus

Anterior pituitary

Target endocrine cell

53
Q

How do hormones themselves act as the negative feedback signal for the anterior pituitary?

A

Feed back to inhibit hormone secretion by integrating centres earlier in the reflex:

feedback from endocrine target is long loop feedback

feedback from anterior pituitary to hypothalamus is short loop feedback

links levels of hormones together and maintains plasma levels within correct range

54
Q

For the anterior pituitary, what provides long-loop feedback?

A

Endocrine targets

55
Q

For hypothalamus and anterior pitutiary, what provides short loop feedback?

A

Anterior pituitary to hypothalamus

56
Q

What are the 2 neurohormones stored and released from the posterior pituitary?

A

Vasopressin

Oxytocin

57
Q

Are the hormones released from the posterior pituitary formed there?

A

No, they are formed in the hypothalamus but stored and released fromt he posterior pituitary

58
Q

What is vasopressin also known as?

A

Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)

59
Q

What does ADH stand for?

A

anti-diuretic hormone

60
Q

What are vasopressin and oxytocin synthesised in?

A

Magnocellular neurons which have their cells bodies in specific areas of hypothalamus

Different subsets produce either vasopressin or oxytocin

61
Q

How does vasopressin and oxytocin get from hypothalamus to posterior pituitary?

A

1) Axons project down infundibulim to posterior pituitary
2) Do not synapse with other neurons, terminals end directly on capillaries

62
Q

What classification of hormones do posterior pituitary hormones behave as?

A

Typical peptide hormones, so:

synthesis and storage in vesicles

acts on cell surface receptors

63
Q

What is the main function of vasopressin?

A

Regulates water balance

64
Q

What is the main function of oxytocin?

A

Milk ejection and uterine contraction

65
Q

What causes the release of vasopressin?

A

Increased plasma osmolarity

Decreased volume/blood pressure

66
Q

What causes the release of oxytocin?

A

Labour (baby’s head against cervix)

Suckling

67
Q

What are the sites and mode of action of vasopressin?

A

Kidney collecting ducts - increases water reabsorption

Vascular smooth muscle - increases blood pressure

68
Q

What are the different classifications of endocrine disorders?

A

Hyposecretion (too little hormone secreted)

Hypersecretion (too much hormone secreted)

Hyporesponsiveness (reduced response of target cell)

Hyperresponsiveness (increased response of target cell)

1st degree disorders

2nd degree disorders

3rd degree disorders

69
Q

What are the sites and mode of action of oxytocin?

A

Milk duct smooth muscle - contracts muscle, ejecting milk

Uterine smooth muscle - child birth

70
Q

What are 1st degree endocrine disorders?

A

Those in which the defect is in the cell that secretes the hormone

71
Q

What are 2nd degree endocrine disorders?

A

Those in which there is too little or too much trophic hormones from pituitary

72
Q

What are 3rd degree endocrine disorders?

A

Relates to hypothalamic defects

2A - Endocrine System (26 decks)

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