Untitled Flashcards Set

Endocrine System

Chemical communication system regulating body functions through hormones, working slower than the nervous system with longer-lasting effects.

Autocrine Signaling

Hormone acts on the same cell that produced it.

Paracrine Signaling

Hormone acts on nearby cells without entering the bloodstream.

Endocrine Signaling

Hormone is released into the bloodstream to act on distant cells.

Fat-Soluble Hormones

Hormones made from cholesterol that require carrier proteins to travel in blood and can pass through cell membranes.

Water-Soluble Hormones

Hormones that cannot pass through cell membranes and bind to receptors on the plasma membrane.

Steroid Hormones

Fat-soluble hormones that directly influence DNA and protein synthesis.

Non-Steroid Hormones

Water-soluble hormones that use second messengers to activate signals inside the cell.

Receptor Upregulation

Increase in the number of receptors on target cells in response to low hormone levels, increasing sensitivity.

Receptor Downregulation

Decrease in the number of receptors on target cells in response to high hormone levels, reducing sensitivity.

Growth Hormone (GH)

Hormone from the anterior pituitary that increases fat metabolism and promotes muscle growth.

Thyroid Hormones (T3 & T4)

Hormones that increase metabolic rate and glucose uptake.

Epinephrine

Hormone released by the adrenal medulla that increases heart rate and glycogen breakdown.

Cortisol

Hormone from the adrenal cortex that increases fat and protein breakdown for energy.

Insulin

Hormone from the pancreas that decreases during exercise to allow glucose use.

Glucagon

Hormone from the pancreas that increases glucose release for energy.

ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone)

Hormone that increases water reabsorption in kidneys to regulate fluid balance.

Lactate Threshold

Point at which blood lactate levels rise rapidly, indicating a shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism.