Endocrine Lecture Vocabulary

hypothalamus

The area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst

posterior pituitary gland

the back lobe of your pituitary gland, which is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus

anterior pituitary gland

secretes hormones that promote growth, and control the hormonal output of several other endocrine glands, including those regulating reproduction

thyroid gland

secretes hormones which control the basal metabolic rate of the body

endocrine pancreas

secretes hormones which regulate the metabolism of nutrient molecule

parathyroid glands

secrete a hormone which is important in calcium homeostasis

adrenal glands

secrete hormones which are important in the metabolism of nutrient molecules, adaption to stress, and maintaining salt balance

peptides/proteins

comprise the majority of hormones, including those secreted by the hypothalamus, anterior and posterior pituitary, pancreas and parathyroid

amines

derived from the amino acid, tyrosine, and include the hormones secreted by the thyroid gland, and adrenal medulla

catecholamines

any of a class of aromatic amines that includes a number of neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and dopamine, type of neurohormone

steroids

neutral lipids derived from cholesterol; include hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex, ovaries and testes

target cell receptors

responds to a hormone because it bears receptors for the hormone

plasma membrane receptors

transmembrane receptors, these proteins are found on the surface of cells and span the plasma membrane, they bind to ligands that cannot pass through the plasma membrane by themselves

intracellular receptors

soluble cytoplasmic or nuclear proteins that are activated by molecules that can pass through the plasma membrane of the cell

epinephrine

a neurotransmitter and a hormone, it plays an important role in your body's “fight-or-flight” response

second messenger

a substance whose release within a cell is promoted by a hormone and which brings about a response by the cell.

cyclic AMP

a cyclic form of adenosine monophosphate (adenylic acid) that plays a major role in controlling many enzyme-catalyzed processes in living cells

pancreatic islets (islets of Langerhans)

clusters of cells that produce hormones in endocrine portion of pancreas

alpha cells

secrete glucagon

beta cells

secrete insulin

glucagon

a hormone formed in the pancreas which promotes the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver

insulin

a hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. The lack of insulin causes a form of diabetes

glycogenolysis

conversion of glycogen to glucose

gluconeogenesis

glucose formation from amino acids, lactate, etc.

glycogenesis

conversion of glucose to glycogen

lipogenesis

conversion of glucose or amino acids to fatty acids

hyperglycemia

elevated blood glucose

type 1 diabetes mellitus

insulin-dependent or juvenile-onset

type 2 diabetes mellitus

non-insulin-dependent or maturity-onset

obesity

the state or condition of being very fat or overweight

glucosuria

the presence of reducing sugars in the urine

polyuria

production of abnormally large volumes of dilute urine

polydipsia

abnormally great thirst as a symptom of disease (such as diabetes) or psychological disturbance

ketone bodies (keto acids)

water soluble compounds containing ketone groups that are produced in the liver during caloric restrictions in the body

diabetic ketoacidosis

The condition develops when the body can't produce enough insulin, leads to electrolyte imbalance which affects the brain causing coma and death if untreated

diabetic neuropathy

nerve damage that is caused by diabetes

anterior pituitary

the front lobe of your pituitary gland, which is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus, consists of glandular epithelial tissue and is connected with the hypothalamus by blood vessels

posterior pituitary

the back lobe of your pituitary gland, which is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus, contains axon terminals whose cell bodies are located in the hypothalamus

Human growth hormone (hGH)

causes cells to grow and multiply by facilitating entry of amino acids into cells and conversion into proteins

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH; thyrotropin)

stimulates secretion of thyroid hormone and growth of the thyroid gland

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

stimulates cortisol secretion by the adrenal cortex

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

has different functions in males and females, in females it stimulates maturation of eggs within the ovarian follicles, and stimulates secretion of estrogen by the ovaries, in males, FSH is required for sperm production

luteinizing hormone (LH)

stimulates ovulation and other sexual and reproductive activities

prolactin (PRL)

together with other hormones initiates and maintains milk production in mammary glands

melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)

increases skin pigmentation

tropic hormones

control the secretion of hormones by other endocrine glands

thyrotropin

synthesis/secretion of thyroxine

adrenocorticotropin

cortisol secretion

luteinizing hormone (LH)

ovulation/sexual and reproductive activities

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH

egg maturation, estrogen secretion; needed for sperm production in males

neurohormones

a hormone (such as vasopressin or norepinephrine) produced by nerve cells and secreted into the circulation

releasing hormones

a hormone that prompts the release of another hormone

release-inhibiting hormones

hormones whose primary function is to regulate the release of other hormones, either by stimulating or stopping it.

thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)

stimulates thyrotropin release

oxytocin (OT)

released in large amounts prior to birth and stimulates contraction of the smooth muscle cells in the uterus, and affects contractile cells of the mammary gland causing milk ejection

antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

decreases urine production by effects on the kidney

thyroxine

the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland, acting to increase metabolic rate and so regulating growth and development

calcitonin

a hormone secreted by the thyroid that has the effect of lowering blood calcium

thyrotropin

stimulates secretion of thyroxine (thyroxine T4 contains 4 iodine atoms)

goiter

an enlarged Thyroid gland, associated with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism

parathyroid hormone (parathormone PTH)

produced by the parathyroid glands, raises calcium levels in the blood

outer cortex

secretes 3 groups of steroid hormones (mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, sex steroids)

inner medulla

secretes catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) which stimulate the liver to supply glucose to the blood, as well as other fight-or-flight reactions

mineralocorticoids

a class of steroid hormones that regulate salt and water balances, main one is aldosterone stimulates the kidney to conserve sodium and to excrete potassium, increasing blood volume

glucocorticoids

steroid hormones produced from the cortex of adrenal glands, example is cortisol which decreases glucose utilization by most cells increasing blood glucose, important role in adaptation to stress

stress

response of the body to any factor that overwhelms, or threatens to overwhelm, the ability of the body to maintain homeostasis

stressors

stimuli which may induce a stress response