Soluble Steroid Hormones and Pituitary Function

Vocabulary flashcards covering endocrine communication, steroid and non-steroid hormone mechanisms, hypothalamic-pituitary interactions, and negative feedback homeostasis.

Endocrine System

One of the two body systems responsible for communication and integration between body tissues, utilizing chemical messengers called hormones.

Hormones

Chemical messengers produced in endocrine glands and secreted into the bloodstream to reach body tissues.

Target Cells

Cells that possess specific receptors for a hormone, allowing them to be affected by that hormone.

Steroid Hormones

Lipid-soluble hormones derived from cholesterol that can cross the cell membrane to bind to receptors inside the cytoplasm or nucleus.

Non-steroid Hormones

Water-soluble hormones derived from peptides or amino acids that bind to receptors located on the outer surface of the cell membrane.

cAMP

A second messenger produced upon non-steroid hormone binding, responsible for mediating cellular response by changing enzyme activity or ion channel permeability.

Hypothalamus

A brain structure that secretes neurohormones to control pituitary hormone production, linking the nervous system to the endocrine system.

Neurohormones

Hormones secreted by the hypothalamus that regulate the production of other hormones by the pituitary gland.

Pituitary Gland

An endocrine gland known as the master gland because it controls the functions of many other endocrine glands.

Homeostasis

The body's maintenance of stable internal conditions, such as constant blood sugar levels or serum calcium levels.

Negative Feedback Mechanisms

Homeostatic control mechanisms that work like a thermostat to suppress a hormone's secretion when its levels or targeted conditions reach a high threshold.

Insulin

A hormone released by the pancreas when blood glucose level is high, helping body cells consume and clear glucose from the blood.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

A pituitary hormone that induces the production and regulation of thyroid hormones.

Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH)

A neurohormone secreted by the hypothalamus that controls the secretion of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).