Endocrine System and Hormonal Regulation Vocabulary

A collection of vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture quiz questions covering hormone functions, secretion patterns, and endocrine anatomy.

Lipotropins

Hormones that promote the breakdown of fatty acids.

Giantism

A condition resulting from the chronic hypersecretion of growth hormone as a child.

Acromegaly

An adult condition characterized by the enlargement of feet, hands, and face, a broad nose, and an enlarged tongue, without an increase in height.

FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)

An anterior pituitary hormone that stimulates the development of follicles in the ovary.

Autocrine

A type of chemical messenger that stimulates the cell that originally secreted it.

Lipid-soluble hormone

A chemical type of hormone that generally has a longer half-life.

Target cell

A cell identified by the presence of a receptor specific for a particular hormone.

Chronic hormone secretion

A pattern of hormone secretion, exemplified by thyroid hormones, that remains relatively constant over long periods of time.

Sella turcica

The specific bony location where the pituitary gland (hypophysis) is situated.

Oxytocin

A hormone whose release is specifically stimulated by nursing a baby.

Growth hormone (GH)

A hormone that increases amino acid uptake in cells and can lead to giantism if hypersecreted during childhood.

Anterior pituitary hormones

Hormones that are categorized chemically as proteins or glycoproteins.

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

A hormone synthesized by the hypothalamus.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)

A hormone synthesized by the anterior pituitary gland.

Somatomedins

Substances that inhibit the secretion of growth hormone.

Amplitude-modulated signals

The type of signals most endocrine glands use to communicate with their target tissues.