The Endocrine System Flashcards
+ diagnostic biochemistry
What is the main role of the autonomic nervous system?
- 1.contraction and relaxation often vascular and visceral smooth muscles
- all exocrine and certain endocrine secretions
- control of the heartbeat
- energy metabolism, particularly in the liver and skeletal muscles
Give examples of fast neurotransmitters and how they function
- Glutamate & GABA
- operate through ligand-gated ion channels
Give examples of slow neurotransmitters and neuromodulators and how they function
- DA, neuropeptides
- operate mainly through G-protein coupled receptors
What is the response when the Blood-brain barrier has dysfunction/ damage
- Injury causes oxidative stress, and the increased production of proinflammatory mediators
- there is an upregulation of expression of cell adhesion molecules on the surface of brain endothelium which promotes the influx of inflammatory cells into the traumatized brain parenchyma.
- this causes swelling and the following symptoms seen in a brain haemorrhage
What is the Endocrine System?
- collection of ductless glands produce hormones that regulate internal process
- metabolism
- growth
- development
- tissue function
- sexual & reproductive function
- sleep
- mood
What organs make up the Endocrine System?
- Pineal gland
- Hypothalamus
- Pituitary gland
- Parathyroid gland
- Thyroid gland
- Thymus
- Adrenal glands
- Kidneys
- Pancreas
- Ovary (females)
- Testes (males)

What are the six Anterior Pituitary hormones?
- FSH- Follicle-stimulating hormone
- LH- Luteinizing hormone
- GH- Growth Hormone
- TSH- Thyroid-stimulating hormone
- PRL- Prolactin
- ACTH- Adrencorticotropic hormone
What are the two Posterior Pituitary hormones
- Oxytocin
- ADH -Antidirutiec Hormone (vasopressin)
Give an overview of the biochemical pathway of the Anterior Pituitary Hormones

Describe the location of the Pituitary gland
- inferior to the hypothalamus and the Infundibulum

What is the overall role of the Thyroid and the Parathyroid gland?
- control of metabolic rate and calcium homeostasis
What is the overall role of the Adrenal glands?
- the inner medulla produces hormones related to the stress response
- NE and Epinephrine
- the outer cortex works to control, sodium and glucose
What is the overall role of the Pancreas
- secretes Glucagon and Insulin to control the blood glucose levels
What is the overall role of the Gonads?
- they secrete the female and male reproductive hormones responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics and reproduction
- Female: Oestrogen, Progesterone
- Male: Testosterone, Androsterone
What are the major receptor groups that interact with hormones?
- Steroid Hormone Receptors
- G-Protein Coupled receptors
- Tyrosine Kinase Receptors
these may be intracellular or membrane-bound
How do Steroid Hormones and their receptors work?
- Steroid Hormones (SHs) are lipophilic molecules derived from cholesterol and made in
- the adrenal cortex
- the testes
- the ovary and placenta
- they reach their target cells via the blood where they bind to carrier proteins and pass the cell membrane by simple diffusion (lipophilic nature)
- it then binds to the receptor which may be cytoplasmic or nuclear
- the hormone-receptor complex binds to the hormone response element of the DNA to influence gene transcription
- the receptor may be constitutively active ( resulting in the production of a second messenger in the absence of an agonist)

Explain hormone-receptor complexes removal after they have been internalised
- the hormone-receptor is internalised within a vesicle formed of clathrin-coated pits, which allows the hormone to be removed from its receptor
- in the vesicle arrestin, may replace the hormone on the receptor and prevent the receptor-interacting with its G-protein
- overall internalised receptors are inactive, broken down or recycled
Describe the biological characteristics of hormones
- the classes of hormones
- Peptide hormones
- chains of aa, highly water-soluble, susceptible to protease attach
- unable to cross cell membrane without a carrier protein
- act on membrane-bound receptors
- Steroid hormones (+ thyroid hormones)
- highly lipid-soluble, poorly water-soluble
- must be transported in the blood and bound to plasma protein
- only biologically active in its unbound state
- able to cross cell membrane and acts as intracellular receptor
Describe the biochemical characteristics of hormones
- the classes of hormones
- Peptide Hormones
- not orally active
- rapid onset and duration of action
- short plasma half-life
- synthesised and stored as an inactive precursor
- maybe ‘stored’ in platelets; plasma-protein bound steroids may be a storage reservoir
- Steroid & Thyroid Hormone
- orally active
- synthesised on demand
- slow onset of action
- long plasma half-life and duration of action
How is the endocrine system controlled?
- secretion from the anterior pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus
- the hypothalamus secretes the releasing hormone
- the secretion of a hormone from a gland is controlled by the anterior
- the APG releases Stimulating (trophic) Hormone

Match the hormones released by the hypothalamus to those that it stimulates in the Anterior Pituitary gland
- Thyrotrophin Releasing Hormone (TRH)
- Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH)
- Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH)
- Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH)
- Thyrotrophin Releasing Hormone (TRH)
- Thyroid Stimulating hormone
- Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH)
- Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
- Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH)
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH)
- Growth Hormone (GH)
Where do the hormones of the Anterior Pituitary gland act on?
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
-
Thyroid Gland
- produces Thyroxine
-
Thyroid Gland
- Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
-
Adrenal Cortex
- produces Cortisol
-
Adrenal Cortex
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
-
Ovary
- produces Oestrogen
-
Ovary
- Luteinising Hormone (LH)
-
Ovary
- produces Progesterone
-
Ovary

Explain the effect of nocturnal ACTH (adrenocorticotropin) and Cortisol secretion and long or short sleep duration

- at the time of sleep the SSG (short sleep gp) had higher plasma cortisol levels compared to the LSG (long sleep gp)
- however, the ACTH levels were not reduced or tended to be higher in the LSG, whereas they were lower in the SSG
- this may be explained by the negative feedback effect high cortisol levels has on plasma ACTH,
Conclusions
- the transition from sleep to wakefulness in the morning, irrespective whether spontaneous or induced, stimulates ACTH and cortisol release
- the switch from darkness to lights on after awakening may have contributed to the awakening-dependent ACTH and cortisol peak.
- the decline of plasma ACTH and cortisol during wakefulness supports the view that quietly lying awake inhibits adrenocortical activity in the morning, as already suggested by results from previous studies
Define Endocrine
• Action of the hormone on a target organ away from the secreting cell






















