Topic 7 Animal Coordination, Control and Hormones Flashcards
What are hormones?
- Chemicals messengers* sent directly into blood via diffusion to target organs to control things in organs and cells that need constant adjustment.
- Released by endocrine glands.*
Pituitary gland
Produces many hormones that regulate body conditions
These hormones can act on other glands to release more hormones.
Thyroid
Produces thyroxine which regulates metabolism, heart rate and temperature.
Adrenal gland
Produces adrenaline which prepares the body for ‘flight or fight’ response.
Ovaries
Produce oestrogen which is involved in menstrual cycle.
Pancreas
Produces insulin to regulate blood glucose level.
Properties of nervous system
Very fast action.
Act for short time.
Act on precise area.
Electrical signal.
Properties of hormonal system
Slower action.
Act for a long time.
Act in a general way.
Chemical signal.
Effect of adrenaline
Increases supply of oxygen and glucose to cells.
How does adrenaline increase supply of oxygen and glucose?
Adrenaline binds to specific receptors in the heart and causes it to contract more frequently with more force, increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Increases blood flow to muscles so cells receive oxygen and glucose for increased respiration.
Adrenaline binds to receptors in liver to cause it to break down its glycogen stores to release glucose.
Increases blood glucose level so there’s more glucose in the blood for cells.
When is adrenaline released?
In stressful situations nervous impulses are sent to adrenal glands that secrete adrenaline.
What is negative feedback?
When the body detects the level of a substance has gone above or below the normal level and triggers a response to bring the level to normal again.
How the body raise thyroxine levels in the blood to a normal level?
When it is lower than normal, the hypothalamus (part of brain) releases thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) that stimulates the pituitary gland to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine so the level goes back to normal
How does the body lower thyoxine levels in the blood to a normal level?
The release of TRH from the hypothalamus is inhibited (stopped completely) which reduces the production of TSH, so the blood thyroxine level falls.
What does TRH stand for?
Thyrotropin releasing hormone
What does TSH stand for?
Thyroid stimulating hormone
What does thyroxine do?
Regulates metabolic rate.
How many stages does the menstrual cycle have?
4
Stage 1 of the menstrual cycle (day 1 - 4)
The lining of the uterus is broken down and released.
Stage 2 of the menstrual cycle (day 4 - 14)
The uterus lining is repaired. It builds up over the 10 days until it becomes a thick spongy layer full of blood vessels, ready for a fertilised egg.
Stage 3 of the menstrual cycle (day 14)
Egg develops and is released from the ovary (ovulation).
Stage 4 of the menstrual cycle (14 - 28)
Lining is maintained for 14 days and in no egg has landed on the lining the spongy lining starts to break down again and the cycle repeats.
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)
Released by pituitary gland and causes follicle (egg and surrounding cells) to mature in one of ovaries.
Stimulates oestrogen production.
Oestrogen
Released by ovaries.
Causes lining of uterus to thicken and grow.
High level of oestrogen stimulates LH surge.
LH (luteinising hormone)
Released by pituitary gland.
LH surge stimulates ovulation at day 14 - causes follicle to rupture and release the egg.
The remains of follicle is also stimulated by LH to develop into the corpus luteum which secretes progesterone.
Progesterone
Released by the corpus luteum after ovulation.
Maintains lining of the uterus.
Inhibits release of FSH and LH.
When the progesterone level drops and there is a low oestrogen level, the uterus lining breaks down.
Low progesterone allows FSH to increase and the cycle to start again.
What happens to the progesterone level if a fertilised egg is implanted?
The level of progesterone will stay high to maintain the thick uterus lining during pregnancy.
Clomifene Therapy for infertile women
Clomifine is a drug for people who don’t ovulate and it causes more FSH and LH to be released to stimulate egg maturation and ovulation and the couple can try for a baby when they know exactly when the woman is ovulating.
IVF (in vitro fertilisation)
Collecting eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilising them in a lab and grown into embryos.
The embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus after they become a ball of cells to improve chance of pregnancy.
FSH and LH are given before egg collection to stimulate egg production to collect more than one egg.
Use of oestrogen as a contraceptive
If oestrogen is taken every day to keep the level high permanently then the production of FSH is inhibited and egg development and production stop.