Endocrine System Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the organs, hormones, diseases, and metabolic processes of the endocrine system based on lecture note transcripts.

Gland

An organ that creates hormones to be sent to target cells throughout the body.

Endocrine

A type of ductless gland that secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream.

Exocrine glands

Glands that contain ducts used to secrete chemicals, such as saliva or sweat.

Hypothalamus

The master control gland in the brain that regulates hunger, thirst, sleep, wakefulness, and temperature.

Pituitary gland

The master gland that controls all other endocrine glands and influences growth, metabolism, and regeneration.

Parathyroid gland

Glands located behind the thyroid that secrete parathyroid hormone to control calcium reabsorption and blood calcium levels.

Thymus

An endocrine organ that helps build resistance to disease.

Pancreas

An organ with both exocrine and endocrine functions that aids in digestion and produces hormones like insulin and glucagon to regulate blood sugar.

Adrenal glands

Glands that release adrenaline and cortisol; they regulate metabolic processes, water balance, and blood pressure.

Antidiuretic hormone ($ADH$)

Also known as vasopressin, it is created in the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary to stimulate water retention in the kidneys.

Oxytocin

A hormone made in the hypothalamus that stimulates uterine contractions during labor and milk ejection.

Tropic hormones

Hormones such as $FSH$, $LH$, $ACTH$, and $TSH$ ($FLAT$) that function by stimulating other endocrine glands.

Direct hormones

Hormones such as Prolactin, Endorphins, and $GH$ ($PEG$) that stimulate parts of the body directly.

Hypophyseal portal system

A capillary system between the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary gland.

Diabetes insipidus

A condition caused by the hyposecretion of $ADH$ leading to dehydration, polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia.

$$SIADH$$

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone characterized by high levels of $ADH$ and excessive fluid retention.

Acromegaly

A condition caused by $GH$-producing tumors.

Cushing's syndrome

A clinical condition often caused by $ACTH$-producing tumors.

Calcitonin

A hormone produced by parafollicular cells in the thyroid that decreases calcium levels by stimulating osteoblasts and inhibiting osteoclasts.

Goiter

A condition typically resulting from hypothyroidism and iodine deficiency.

Cretinism

Neonatal hypothyroidism caused by iodine deficiency during pregnancy.

Chief cells

Specific cells in the parathyroid gland that synthesize parathyroid hormone ($PTH$).

Zona glomerulosa

The outer layer of the adrenal cortex that synthesizes mineralocorticoids like aldosterone.

Zona fasciculata

The middle layer of the adrenal cortex that secretes glucocorticoids such as cortisol.

Zona reticularis

The inner layer of the adrenal cortex that produces adrenal sex hormones and weak androgens.

Adrenal medulla

The inner part of the adrenal gland that secretes catecholamines, specifically epinephrine and norepinephrine, for the fight-or-flight response.

Melatonin

A hormone secreted by the pineal gland that regulates the circadian rhythm and acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Islets of Langerhans

Hormone-producing cell clusters in the pancreas containing alpha ($25\%$), beta ($60\%$), and delta ($10\%$) cells.

Alpha cells

Pancreatic cells that secrete glucagon to increase blood glucose levels.

Beta cells

Pancreatic cells that secrete insulin to decrease blood sugar and amylin to slow gastric emptying.

Delta cells

Pancreatic cells that synthesize somatostatin to regulate pancreatic hormone secretion.

Glycogenesis

The formation of glycogen from glucose for short-term energy storage in the liver or muscles.

Glycogenolysis

The process of breaking down or cutting down glycogen into glucose.

Gluconeogenesis

The metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates like amino acids.

Ketogenesis

The process of converting fatty acids into ketone bodies to be used by the heart and brain.

Lipid-soluble hormones

Hydrophobic hormones, such as steroids, that require carrier proteins and bind to receptors inside the cytosol or nucleus of a target cell.

Water-soluble hormones

Hydrophilic hormones, including biogenic amines and proteins, that dissolve in plasma and bind to receptors on the target cell surface.