BSI 2 Lecture 48: Endocrine 2

Question 1

What is another name for the pituitary gland?

Answer 1

The master gland or hypophysis

Question 2

Where is the pituitary gland located?

Answer 2

In a protective bony cavity on the inferior surface of the midbrain called the sella turica

Question 3

What connects the pituitary gland to the hypothalamus?

Answer 3

The pituitary stalk or infundibulum (also called hypophysial stalk)

Question 4

How many parts can the pituitary be split into?

Answer 4

Two, the anterior and posterior pituitary gland

Question 5

What is the anterior pituitary composed of?

Answer 5

Epithelial tissue

Question 6

What is the posterior pituitary composed of?

Answer 6

Glial-like cells called pituicytes and neurosecretory axon terminals because it is part of the brain

Question 7

What is the general process of secretion by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis?

Answer 7

The hypothalamus will release hormone that will cause the pituitary gland to release a hormone that acts on a target site in the body

Question 8

How many hormones does the anterior pituitary secrete?

Answer 8

Multiple hormones because of the multiple different cell types

Question 9

What does the posterior pituitary release?

Answer 9

Antidiuretic hormone and Oxytocin

Question 10

Where is antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin made, and how does it get to the posterior pituitary?

Answer 10

It is made in the hypothalamic neurosecretory cell bodies and is transported down the infundibulum

Question 11

What controls the release of 6 major hormones secreted by the anterior pituitary?

Answer 11

Releasing factors secreted by the hypothalamus

Question 12

How do these releasing factors travel to the pituitary gland?

Answer 12

They are secreted near the primary capillary plexus in the median eminence where they travel by blood down the infundibulum to a second capillary bed which surrounds the anterior pituitary cells where is rejoins systemic circulation

Question 13

All currently known releasing factors are ____ except for _____ which is a catecholamine.

Answer 13

Peptides; Dopamine

Question 14

Which two hormones, secreted by the anterior pituitary, don’t act on secondary endocrine glands?

Answer 14

Growth hormone and Prolactin

Question 15

What two hormones, from the hypothalamus, affect secretion of growth hormone?

Answer 15

Growth hormone releasing hormone and Somatostatin

Question 16

What does growth hormone do?

Answer 16

It causes precursor cells and the liver to release IGF-1, it stimulates the production of proteins in the cell, and it causes fatty cells to be more susceptible to lipolysis while stimulating gluconeogenesis, and inhibiting the effects of insulin.

Question 17

How does growth hormone effect bones?

Answer 17

Increases protein deposition in chondrocytes and osteoblasts and increases differentiation of chondrocytes into osteoblasts

Question 18

Does growth hormone effect bones after epiphyseal fusion?

Answer 18

Yes, it will cause bones to thicken