L04 - Hormone synthesis and action Flashcards
What is the difference between endocrine and exocrine?
Endocrine:
- Secretes hormones into blood directly from cells
- Ductless glands
Exocrine (not part of endocrine system):
- Duct; glands secrete directly into target site via ducts or tubes
(- Enzymes)
- Release secretions outside body
What is comparative endocrinology?
Actions of hormones similar throughout evolution
What is clinical endocrinology?
Hormones related to pathology
What are mixed glands?
A gland that secretes in endocrine and exocrine fashion
e. g.
- Pancreas produces digestive juice + insulin, glucagon and somatostatin
- Mucous and serous cells in salivary glands (two different secretory cells)
What is the difference in the chemical coordinator between the endocrine system and NS?
Endo:
- Hormones
- Many diff types affecting diff specific tissue
- Some hormones secreted from nerve endings [neuro-endocrine]
NS:
- NT
- Few types, secreted only onto target tissue
What is the difference in the speed of effect between the endocrine system and NS?
Endo:
- Generally slow
NS:
- Generally rapid
What is the difference in the duration of effect between the endocrine system and NS?
Endo:
- Generally long lasting
NS:
- Generally short-lived
What is the difference in the localisation of effect between the endocrine system and NS?
Endo:
- Secreted into blood therefore widespread
NS:
- Secreted onto target cell so effect very localisd
What is a hormone?
- A substance secreted directly into the blood by specialised cells
- Carried in the blood to receptors on target organs
- Present in only minute concentrations in the blood and bind specific receptors in target cells to influence cellular reactions
What are the different mechanisms of chemical signalling?
- Intracrine
- Endocrine
- Paracrine
- Autocrine
- Neuroendocrine
What is intracrine signalling?
Generated by a chemical acting within the same cell
- Does not leave the cell
What is endocrine signalling?
Chemicals enter the general circulation and reach distant target cells
What is autocrine signalling?
Chemical acts on the same cell
- Leaves the cell
What is paracrine signalling?
Chemical commn between neighbouring cells within a tissue or organ
- Neighbouring cells, could be via local circ
What is neuroendocrine signalling?
Chemical released by a specialised group of cells into the circ and acting on a distant target tissue
- From neurosecretory cells to distant target cells
What is -ve feedback?
The process by which body sense change and activates mechanism to reduce it
- The final product of an endo cascade acts to inhibit the release of hormones higher up in the cascade
What is +ve feedback?
The process by which body senses change and activates mechanism to amplify it
What is an endocrine axis?
Functional grouping of endocrine glands that stimulate each other
- Target tissue for a hormone may be another endocrine gland
- Faults may occur along this axis
e. g.: Hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis
What are the 3 main groups of hormones?
- Protein/ peptide hormones
- E.g. Insulin - Steroid hormones
- E.g. cortisol - Amine hormones
- E.g. Tyrosine
Describe protein/ peptide hormones
- Most common type of hormone, of aa
- Water sol (hydrophilic)
- Preformed and stored in membrane bound vesicles ready for release by exocytosis
- Produced on RER as large precursor molc - pre-prohormone
Pre-prohormone –> prohormone –> hormone
What is the benefit of a large precursor?
A large precursor allows structural specificity
- Cleaved via proteolysis
Give examples of protein hormones
- Insulin
- Pre-proinsulin –> Proinsulin –> Insulin + C-peptide - ACTH
- In the corticotroph, pre-pro-opiomelanocortin produces one ACTH (in other cells, gives diff hormones) - Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)
Which proteases are involved in the formation of insulin from pre-proinsulin?
- Endoprotease
- PC2 and PC3
- Carboxypeptidase
- Cleavage of signal peptide and covalent S-S bonds
Which hormones have a common a subunit?
- TSH
- LH
- hCG
- FSH
- Common a subunit
- Unique beta subunit
- Confers specificity
- Each subunit starts off as a larger molc