Topic 7 Flashcards
What are hormones?
Chemical messengers sent in the blood
Name of 6 endocrine glands?
Pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries, testes and pancreas
What do the testes produce and what does the hormone do?
Produces testosterone which controls puberty and sperm production in males
What does the thyroid gland produce and what does the hormone do?
Produces thyroxine, which is involved in regulating things like rate of metabolism, heart rate and temperature
What does the pancreas produce and what does the hormone do?
Produces insulin, which is used to regulate blood glucose level
What does adrenal gland produce and what does the hormone do?
Produces adrenaline, which is used to prepare body for a ‘fight or flight’ response by activating processes that increase supply of O2 and glucose to cells
Differences between neurones and hormones?
Neurones: very fast action, act for a very short time, act on a very precise area
Hormones: slower action, act for a long time, act in a more general way
How does adrenaline cause increased respiration?
- During times of fear or stress the adrenal glands release adrenaline
- Adrenaline binds to specific receptors in heart, causing muscle to contract more frequently and with more force, so heart rate and blood pressure increase,
- This in turn, increases blood flow to muscles so cells receive more O2 and glucose
- Both O2 and glucose are needed for aerobic respiration and this prepares the body for fight or flight
How can your body control levels of hormones in blood using negative feedback systems?
When body detects that level of a substance has gone above or below normal level, it triggers a response to bring level back to normal again
What is metabolic rate?
Speed at which chemical reactions in body occur
What does TRH stimulate to release what?
TRH stimulates pituitary gland to release TSH
What does TSH stimulate to release what?
TSH stimulates thyroid gland to release thyroxine
How does blood thyroxine level rise back to normal when the blood thyroxine level is lower than normal?
- Hypothalamus stimulated to release TRH
- which stimulates pituitary gland to release TSH.
- TSH stimulates thyroid gland to release more thyroxine so blood thyroxine level normal
How does blood thyroxine level go fall to normal when blood thyroxine level becomes higher than normal?
Release of TRH from hypothalamus is inhibited, which reduces production of TSH so blood thyroxine level falls
How long is a menstrual cycle usually?
28 days
In 4 stages of menstrual cycle, what happens in stage 1? Which days? Which hormone released?
Menstruation starts, uterus lining breaks down and is released, days 1-4, FSH
In 4 stages of menstrual cycle, what happens in stage 2? Which days? Which hormone released?
Uterus lining repaired, from day 4-14, until it becomes a thick spongy layer full of blood vessels ready for a fertilised egg to implant there, oestrogen
In 4 stages of menstrual cycle, what happens in stage 3? Which days? Which hormone released?
Ovulation: an egg develops and is released from ovary at about day 14, LH
In 4 stages of menstrual cycle, what happens in stage 4? Which days? Which hormone released?
Lining maintained for about 14 days, until day 28. If no fertilised egg landed on uterus wall by day 28, spongy lining starts to break down again and whole cycle starts over, progesterone
What is FSH released by, causes, and stimulates?
FSH released by pituitary gland, causes follicle to mature in one of ovaries, and stimulates oestrogen production
What is oestrogen released by, causes, and stimulates?
Oestrogen released by ovaries, causes uterus lining to thicken and grown, and a high level stimulates an LH surge
What is LH released by, causes, and stimulates?
LH released by pituitary gland, stimulates ovulation at day 14 - egg released, and stimulates remains of follicle to develop into corpus luteum - which secretes progesterone
What is progesterone released by, causes and inhibits?
Progesterone released by corpus luteum after ovulation, maintains uterus lining, and inhibits release of FSH and LH
How does the menstrual cycle start again?
When level of progesterone falls and low oestrogen level, uterus lining breaks down. Low progesterone level allows FSH to increase and then whole cycle starts again
What happens to progesterone level if a fertilised egg implants the egg?
Level of progesterone will stay high to maintain uterus lining during pregnancy
Two examples of treating infertility?
Clomifene therapy and IVF (in vitro fertilisation)
What is clomifene therapy?
- Infertile women take drug called clomifene.
- It causes more FSH and LH to be released by body, which stimulates egg maturation and ovulation.
- By knowing when woman will be ovulating, couple can have intercourse during this time period to improve chance of pregnancy
What is IVF (in vitro fertilisation)?
- Involves collecting eggs from woman’s ovaries and fertilising them in lab using man’s sperm, which then grown into embryos.
- Once embryos are tiny balls of cells, one or two transferred to woman’s uterus to improve chance of pregnancy.
- FSH and lH given before egg collection to stimulate egg production