Endocrine System Overview

A set of flashcards focusing on key vocabulary from the endocrine system lecture, detailing hormone communication, hormone types, mechanisms of action, and interactions.

Autocrine Communication

Chemicals that exert effects on the same cells that secrete them.

Paracrine Communication

Locally acting chemicals that affect cells other than those that secrete them.

Endocrine Communication

Hormones released into the blood that act on distant target cells.

Pheromone Communication

Chemicals released from one organism to act on another organism.

Hypothalamus

A key brain region that produces ADH, oxytocin, and regulatory hormones.

Pituitary Gland

An endocrine gland that secretes hormones including ACTH, TSH, GH, PRL, FSH, LH, MSH.

Hormone Concentration

Circulating hormones can exist in free or bound forms, affecting their activity.

Up-regulation

The process where target cells form more receptors in response to an increase in hormone.

Down-regulation

The process where target cells lose receptors in response to excess hormone.

Humoral Stimuli

Hormone secretion triggered by changing blood levels of ions and nutrients.

Neural Stimuli

Stimulus for hormone release initiated by nerve fibers.

Hormonal Stimuli

Hormones that stimulate other endocrine organs to release hormones.

Permissiveness

One hormone cannot exert its effects without the presence of another hormone.

Synergism

When more than one hormone produces the same effects on a target cell.

Antagonism

When one or more hormones oppose the action of another hormone.

Amino Acid-Based Hormones

Water-soluble hormones, including peptides and proteins, derived from amino acids.

Steroid Hormones

Lipid-soluble hormones derived from cholesterol.

Eicosanoids

Biologically active lipids with local hormone-like activity, often mediating inflammation.

cAMP

Cyclic AMP, a second messenger involved in hormone signaling.

Tyrosine Kinase

An enzyme that autophosphorylates upon hormone binding, triggering cellular responses.