Endocrine And Endocrine Pathologies

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

Controls the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex.

Prolactin (PRL)

Stimulates milk production from the breast.

Growth Hormone (Somatotropin)

Responsible for insulin-like growth and metabolism factors from the liver and many tissues.

Thyrotropin (TSH)

Controls the release of T3 and T4 hormones from the thyroid gland.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Controls the release of androgens in males and estrogen and progesterone in females from the gonads.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH)

Controls the release of androgens in males and estrogen and progesterone in females from the gonads.

Oxytocin

Ejects milk and contracts the uterus during labor and delivery.

Vasopressin (ADH)

Regulates water balance in the body by acting on the kidneys.

Peptide Hormones

Made in advance, stored in secretory vesicles; receptors located on the cell membrane (e.g., insulin, parathyroid hormone).

Steroid Hormones

Synthesized on demand from precursors; receptors located in the cytoplasm or nucleus (e.g., estrogens, androgens, cortisol).

Catecholamines

Made in advance, stored in secretory vesicles; receptors located on the cell membrane (e.g., epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine).

Thyroid hormones

Made in advance, precursor stored in secretory vesicles; receptors located in the nucleus (e.g., Thyroxine (T4)).

Cholesterol

Precursor for the synthesis of aldosterone, glucocorticoids, and sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone, and androgens).

Addison's disease

Results from autoimmune destruction of the adrenal cortex, causing failure to produce essential hormones.

Cushing's disease

A form of hypercortisolism caused by a pituitary tumor leading to excessive cortisol production.

Graves' disease

Caused by antibodies mimicking TSH, leading to excessive thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism.

Paget's disease

Involves abnormal bone remodeling, leading to enlarged and misshapen bones.

Acromegaly

Results from excessive growth hormone secretion in adults, causing changes in facial features and extremities.

Adrenogenital syndrome

Results from enzyme defects in adrenal steroid production, leading to excess androgen secretion.

Cretinism

Results from untreated hypothyroidism in infancy, leading to decreased mental capacity and stunted growth.

Dwarfism

Caused by severe deficiency of growth hormone during childhood, leading to short stature.

Exophthalmos

Characteristic protrusion of the eyes primarily caused by Graves' disease.

Sensory pathways

All first travel to the thalamus, except for olfaction, which projects directly to the olfactory bulb.

Two-point discrimination test

Assesses the ability to distinguish two separate points on the skin.

Phasic receptors

Rapidly adapting receptors that cease firing if the stimulus remains constant.

Nociceptors

Neurons with free nerve endings that respond to strong noxious stimuli causing tissue damage.

Referred pain

Pain perceived in one area of the body while the painful stimulus originates in another area.

Chronic pain

Pain that persists for a long time, reflecting damage to or long-term changes in the nervous system.

Umami

A taste sensation associated with the amino acid glutamate; one of the five basic taste sensations.

Bony structures of the middle ear

Malleus, Incus, Stapes; they conduct sound from the external environment to the inner ear.

Visual pathway

Retina > optic nerves > optic chiasm > optic tracts > lateral geniculate bodies > optic radiations > visual cortex.