Endocrine System

Question 1

What are some types of cell communication?

Answer 1

Endocrine, paracrine, autocrine, neurocrine

Question 2

What is endocrine communication?

Answer 2

Release of hormones into the bloodstream

Question 3

What are glands in the endocrine system?

Answer 3

Any structure that makes and secretes a hormone

Question 4

What is the ‘master gland’ of the body?

Answer 4

Pituitary Gland

Question 5

What is cell target binding influenced by?

Answer 5

Levels of hormone in blood, number of receptors on target cell, strength of the binding

Question 6

Which hormone does the thyroid secrete?

Answer 6

Thyroxine

Question 7

What does thyroxine stimulate?

Answer 7

Metabolism

Question 8

What hormones do the pituitary produce?

Answer 8

Many hormones including FSH

Question 9

What does FSH do?

Answer 9

Regulates growth and triggers sexual maturity

Question 10

What are some of the main endocrine glands?

Answer 10

Pineal gland, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, adrenal glands

Question 11

What are some of the main endocrine organs?

Answer 11

Gonads, pancreas, thymus

Question 12

Where is the thymus located?

Answer 12

Superior mediastinum

Question 13

By late teens, what is the thymus mainly?

Answer 13

Mostly fat

Question 14

What is the role of the thymus?

Answer 14

Maturation of bone marrow derived stem cells into T cells (thymic cell education)

Question 15

What does the thymus produce?

Answer 15

Thymosin - a hormone that promotes T cell maturation

Question 16

What do your hormones control and regulate?

Answer 16

Reproduction, metabolism, growth and development, body defences, homeostasis

Question 17

What does the hypothalamus regulate?

Answer 17

Thermoregulation, plasma osmolality, heart rate, feeding, wakefulness, emotion, lactation

Question 18

What does the hypothalamus produce?

Answer 18

ADH and oxytocin

6 hormones that travel via the hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system to the anterior pituitary (4 stimulatory, 2 inhibitory)

Question 19

Where do ADH and oxytocin produced by the hypothalamus travel to?

Answer 19

Posterior pituitary

Question 20

What is the pituitary gland also known as?

Answer 20

Hypophysis

Question 21

What are the two lobes that the pituitary gland is divided into?

Answer 21

Anterior and posterior

Question 22

What is stress defined as?

Answer 22

A state of real or perceived threat to homeostasis

Question 23

What are some behavioural effects of the stress response?

Answer 23

Increased awareness, improved cognition, euphoria, enhanced analgesia

Question 24

What are some physiological effects of the stress response?

Answer 24

Increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, inhibition of feeding, digestion, growth, reproduction and immunity

Question 25

Where are the principal effectors of the stress response?

Answer 25

Hypothalamus, anterior pituitary and adrenal gland

Question 26

What is the adrenal cortex?

Answer 26

Outer part of the gland

Question 27

What does the adrenal cortex produce?

Answer 27

Glucocorticoids (cortisol) and mineralcorticoids (aldosterone)

Question 28

What is the central portion of the adrenal gland?

Answer 28

The medulla

Question 29

What is the medulla of the adrenal gland composed of?

Answer 29

Large, pale staining epithelioid cells called chromaffin cells which are, in effect, modified nuerons

Question 30

Why are chromaffin cells considered the equivalent of postsynaptic neurons?

Answer 30

When nerve impulses carried by the sympathetic fibres reach catecholamine-secreting chromaffin cells, they release adrenaline and noradrenaline

Question 31

What is an example of neurocrine secretion?

Answer 31

Chromaffin cells as they are considered the equivalent of postsynaptic neurones and they secrete into the blood stream

Question 32

What are some effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline?

Answer 32

Glycogen breaks down into glucose - increased blood glucose Increased blood pressure Increased breathing rate Increased metabolic rate Change in blood flow patterns leading to increased alertness and decreased digestive activity

Question 33

What does the pineal gland produce?

Answer 33

Melatonin

Question 34

What is melatonin involved in?

Answer 34

Control of circadian rhythm

Question 35

What inhibits melatonin release?

Answer 35

Light exposure - neuronal pathway is from retina to hypothalamus to pineal gland

Question 36

What does melatonin inhibit the release of?

Answer 36

Gonadotrophins (LH and FSH)

Question 37

Why is the pineal gland visible on skull x-rays?

Answer 37

It calcifies in early adulthood

Question 38

Where are examples of neurocrine communication?

Answer 38

Hypothalamus, posterior pituitary and adrenal medulla

Question 39

What are hormones usually made from?

Answer 39

Amino acids or derived from lipids

Question 40

What determines whether hormones are water soluble or lipid soluble?

Answer 40

Whether they are made from amino acids or derived from lipids so target cells for water soluble hormones have receptors on the membrane and target cells for lipid soluble hormones have intracellular receptors