Exam 1 Flashcards
Endocrine system, hormones, and blood
The endocrine system is composed of
The endocrine system is composed of endocrine glands
as well as specialized endocrine cells found throughout the body
Hormones
Chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands
Hormones are transported…
Hormones are transported
in the blood to their target tissues, or effectors, where they stimulate a specific response
Communication systems: Nervous system
Nervous system transmits messages directly to its target cells through action potentials and the release of neurotransmitters at synapses
Communication systems: Endocrine system
Transmits messages to its target cells through secretion of hormones into the bloodstream
Hypothalamus: Nervous system
Hypothalamus regulates nervous system functions such as detecting changes in body temperature and serving as a regulator of autonomic function
Hypothalamus: Endocrine system
Hypothalamus regulates endocrine function at the level of the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes several hormones that can either stimulate or inhibit the release of other hormones from the pituitary gland
Neuropeptides
Hormones secreted by neurons; aka neurohormones
Major endocrine glands and tissues and where theyre located
Hypothalamus: Brain
Pineal gland: Beneath corpus callosum
Pituitary gland: Below hypothalamus
Thyroid: Front of larynx and trachea
Parathyroids: Posterior part of thyroid
Thymus: Behind sternum and in front of heart
Adrenals: Top of kidneys
Islets of Langerhans: Pancreas
Ovaries/Testes
Similarities between endocrine system and nervous system
Hypothalamus: Regulates nervous system functions and regulates endocrine function; Synthesizes and secretes hormones
Shared chemical messengers: Certain molecules are used by both nervous and endocrine systems; Ex: Norepinephrine
Differences between endocrine system and nervous system
Mode of transport: Nervous system secretes neurotransmitters that are released directly into target cells; Endocrine system secretes hormones that are transported in bloodstream
Speed of response: Nervous system responds faster than endocrine system
Duration of response: Nervous system activates targets quickly and only for as long as action potentials are sent to target. Target cells response is terminated shortly after action potentials cease; Endocrine system has longer-lasting effects. Hormones remain in bloodstream for even weeks and activate their target issues as long as they are present in circulation
Modulation of signal intensity: Hormones secreted by most endocrine glands are amplitude-modulated signals (total amount of signal that is produced). This type of signal consists of fluctuations in the concentration of hormones in bloodstream; Action potentials carried along axons are frequency-modulated signals (how often a signal is sent in a certain period of time). Vary in the number of signals within that time period. Low frequency=weak stimulus
Endocrine-regulated Processes
1) Growth and development: Hormones stimulate bone cells to screte new matrix, neurons to form and strengthen synapses, enlargement of skeletal muscle fibers, etc
2) Metabolism: Hormones stimulate cells to take up or release glucose, produce enzymes essential for breakdown and absorption of food, as well as modifications in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate to adapt to variations in metabolic demand
3) Blood composition: Many hormones regulate actions of the kidney to conserve or excrete ions and water, as well as regulating pH of the plasma, the number and types of blood cells, and the amount of certain proteins found in the plasma of blood
4) Reproduction: hormones are the key regulators of reproduction. They allow males and females to produce gametes and enable female body to nourish offspring
Classes of chemical messengers
1) Autocrine: Stimulates cell that originally secreted it. Stimulated by cells in a local area; Ex: Those secreted by white blood cells during an infection. Stimulates own replication so total number of white blood cells increase rapidly
2) Paracrine: Act locally on neighboring cells. Secreted by one cell type into extracellular fluid and affect surrounding cells; Ex: Histamine. Stimulates vasodilation in nearby blood vessels; Includes substances that play a role in modulating the sensation of pain, such as endorphins and prostaglandins
3) Neurotransmitters: Secreted by neurons that activate an adjacent cell. Secreted into synaptic cleft, rather into bloodstream. Travels short distances and influences postsynaptic cells; Ex: Acetylcholine and epinephrine
4) Endocrine: Secreted into bloodstream by certain glands and cells. Travel through general circulation to target cells. Results in hormones; Ex: Thyroid hormones, growth hormone, insulin, epinephrine, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone
Control of hormonal secretion
Three types of stimuli that regulate hormone release
1) Humoral stimuli: Metabolites and other molecules in the bloodstream can directly stimulate the release of some hormones. Cells that secrete these hormones have receptors for certain substances i the blood; Ex: glucose, Ca2+ and Na+ can stimulate hormone secretion. When blood level of particular substance changes, hormone is released in response to molecules concentration; Humoral = fluids of the body
2) Neural stimuli: Following an action potential, a neuron releases a neurotransmitter into a synapse with a hormone-producing cell. Neurotransmitter stimulates cells to secrete their hormone; Ex: Stimulating adrenal gland to secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine into blood during stress or exercise. When stimulus no longer present. then neural stimulation declines, and the secretion of those two hormones decrease; Some neurons secrete their chemical messengers directly into blood when stimulated making chemical messengers hormones (neuropeptides). Some neuropeptides stimulate hormone secretion from other endocrine cells are called releasing hormones. When a neuron releases a neurotransmitter at a synapse to stimulate a hormones secretion, it is neural stimulus
3) Hormonal stimulus: When hormones stimulate the secretion of other hormones; Ex: Tropic hormones: A releasing hormone from hypothalamus stimulates the release of a tropic hormone from pituitary gland which then travels to separate endocrine gland and stimulates the release of a hormone from target endocrine gland
Patterns of hormone secretion
1) Chronic: Results in relatively constant blood levels of hormone over long periods of time; Ex: Thyroid hormones circulate in blood within a small range of concentrations
2) Acute: Occurs when hormone’s concentration changes suddenly and irregularly, and its circulating levels differ with each stimulus; Ex: Epinephrine is released in large amounts in response to stress of physical exercise
3) Episodic: Occurs when hormones are secreted at fairly predictable intervals and concentrations; Ex: Reproductive hormones fluctuating a month in cyclic fashion
Classes of hormones
1) Lipid-soluble: Nonpolar and include steroid hormones (testosterone and aldosterone), thyroid hormones, and fatty acid derivative hormones, such as eicosanoids (or prostaglandins)
2) Water-soluble: Polar molecules that include most amino acid derivatives (epinephrine), peptides (insulin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone), or proteins (thyroid-stimulating hormone, growth hormone), including glycoproteins
Binding proteins
Many hormones are broken down after entering bloodstream. These hormones require binding proteins that protect hormone so that they arrive intact and functional at target. Once hormones attach to a binding protein, they are called bound hormones; For small hormones, the binding protein protects them from degradation by hydrolytic enzymes and from being filtered from the blood in the kidney; For lipid-soluble hormones that are insoluble in plasma, being bound to a binding protein causes them to become more water-soluble. Hormones bind to specific binding proteins. Hormones that attach to binding proteins tend to circulate longer than hormones that do not
Free hormones
The binding of hormones to binding proteins is reversible. Hormones dissociate (detach) from their binding proteins at their target tissues. Once the hormones detach, they are called free hormones. Some hormones always exist as free hormones because they do not have specific binding proteins to which they attach. Some hormones are “always free.” The binding proteins affinity for its hormone determines the concentration of free hormones. The reversible binding hormones to their binding proteins is important because only hormones are able to diffuse through capillary walls and bind to target tissues. Water-soluble hormones are often free hormones because they can dissolve directly into the plasma of the blood and are delivered to their target tissue without binding to a binding protein. They diffuse from blood into tissue spaces slowly
Regulation of hormone levels in blood
1) Negative feedback: Most hormones are regulated by a negative-feedback mechanism, whereby the hormones secretion is inhibited by the hormone itself. It is a self-limiting system; Ex: thyroid hormones inhibit secretion of their releasing hormone from hypothalamus and tropic hormone from anterior pituitary
2) Positive feedback: Hormones secretion is stimulated by the hormone itself. It is a self-perpetuating system
Half-life of hormones
Hormone concentrations are stable in bloodstream; however, some hormones are more stable than others. Life span of a given hormone varies with its chemical nature. Larger, more complex hormones are more stable. A hormones life span can be expressed as its half life, which is the amount of time it takes for 50% of the circulating hormone to be removed from circulation and excreted; Ex: Thyrotropin-releasing hormone has a short half life because of its simple composition, whereas cortisol is a steroid hormone with a longer half life of 90 minutes. Its lipid-soluble nature causes it to not easily degrade and it can continue to activate target cells for more than an hour
Elimination of hormones from bloodstream
All hormones are destroyed either in the circulation or by enzymes at their target cells. The destruction and elimination of hormones limit the length of time they are active, and body processes change quickly when hormones are secreted and remain functional for only short periods. Without binding proteins, lipid-soluble hormones would quickly diffuse out of capillaries and be degraded by enzymes of the liver and lungs or be filtered form the blood by the kidneys and would be unable to effectively regulate their targets
Conjugation: Used to terminate a lipid-soluble hormone response. Occurs when specific enzymes in the liver attach water-soluble hormones to the hormones. Once the lipid-soluble hormones are conjugated, they cannot reenter the blood where they could overstimulate their targets. Instead, kidneys and liver excrete them into urine and bile
Proteases: Hydrolytic enzymes within bloodstream that break down water-soluble hormones and lead to kidneys removing hormone breakdown products from blood
Hormones must be able to
Hormones must be able to interact with their target tissue in a specific manner to activate a coordinated set of events; Ex: formation of reproductive organs in fetus is activated by reproductive steroid hormones; Hormones must be able to regulate specific cellular pathways once they arrive at their targets and bind to target cell proteins called receptors; A hormone can stimulate only when the cells that have the receptor for that hormone. The specific portion of each receptor molecule where a hormone binds is called a binding site, and the shape and chemical characteristics of each receptor site only allow a specific type of hormone to bind to it. The tendency for each time of hormone to bind to one type of receptor and not to others is called specificity
Agonists and Antagonists
Drugs with structures similar to those of specific hormones will compete with those hormones for the same receptor. A drug that binds to a hormone receptor and activates it is an agonist; Ex: Some asthma inhalers use drugs that mimic epinephrine and can activate epinephrine receptors; A drug that binds to a hormone receptor and inhibits its action is an antagonist; Ex: Some anti-stroke medications are epinephrine antagonists that prevent epinephrine-stimulated platelet aggregation and thus prevent the blockage of blood vessels
Classes of receptors
1) Lipid-soluble hormones bind to nuclear receptors: Lipid-soluble hormones are small and nonpolar, so they can easily diffuse through plasma membrane and bind to nuclear receptors. Nuclear receptors are often found in nucleus or cytoplasm. Cytoplasm receptors move to nucleus when activated. When hormones bind to nuclear receptors, hormone-receptor complex interacts with DNA in nucleus or with cellular enzymes to regulate transcription of particular genes in target tissue; Ex: thyroid hormones and steroid hormones
2) Water-soluble hormones bind to membrane-bound receptors. Water-soluble hormones are large and cannot pass through plasma membrane, so they interact with membrane-bound proteins, which are proteins that extend across plasma membrane, with their hormone-binding site exposed on plasma membranes outer surface. When hormone binds to receptor on outside of plasma membrane, hormone-receptor complex initiates response inside cell; Ex: Proteins, peptides, and some amino acid derivatives, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine