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Vocabulary flashcards from the endocrine system lecture notes, covering key terms and definitions relevant to hormone biology.

Hormones

Chemical signals produced by a cell, tissue, or organ that are released into the bloodstream and regulate the function of other cells.

Endocrine gland

Glands that secrete their chemical products directly into the interstitial fluid or bloodstream without using ducts.

Exocrine gland

Glands that secrete their products through ducts to the body surface or into body cavities.

Tropic hormone

A hormone that controls the secretion of another hormone from an endocrine gland.

Synergistic interactions

When two hormones work together to produce a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects.

Antagonistic interactions

When one hormone opposes the action of another hormone.

Permissive interactions

When one hormone is required for another hormone to exert its full effect.

Half-life of a hormone

The time required to reduce the concentration of a hormone in the bloodstream by half.

Peptide hormones

Hormones made of amino acids that are usually water-soluble and stored in secretory vesicles before release.

Steroid hormones

Lipid-soluble hormones derived from cholesterol that are synthesized on demand and not stored.

Paracrine signaling

A type of cell signaling where the signal affects neighboring cells.

Autocrine signaling

A type of cell signaling where the cell responds to substances that it secretes itself.

Hormone receptors

Proteins located on the surface of or inside target cells that bind hormones and trigger cellular responses.

Norepinephrine

A chemical that acts as both a neurotransmitter in the nervous system and a hormone in the endocrine system.

Transport proteins

Proteins that carry lipid-soluble hormones in the bloodstream, protecting them from degradation.

Signal transduction pathways

The processes by which a hormone binds to a receptor and initiates cellular responses.

Endocrine signaling

Communication between cells where signaling molecules travel through the bloodstream to distant target cells.