Endocrine system

INTRODUCTION TO THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
  • broadcasts hormonal messages all over the body
  • endocrine hormones lasts from minutes to days
  • hormones are slow to act some even months to years!
  • hormones are blood borne
  • hormones are also neurotransmitters
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
  • organs that produce endocrine hormones :: hypothalamus, pineal gland, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovary, testes
PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
  • gigantism :: due to hypersecretion of growth hormone
  • Cushing's syndrome :: due to hypersecretion of cortisol (stress hormone). can cause type 2 diabetes bc its a glucocorticoid
  • hypothyroidism :: due to dec amt of circulating thyroid hormone. iodine deficiency. can cause a goiter.
HORMONES ARE EVERYWHERE
  • many hormones are for cellular communication
  • leptin :: as adipocytes inc, leptin inc which signals to the brain that there is a lot of energy available for use
  • ghrelin :: when the stomach / small intestine are empty they produce ghrelin to signal to the hypothalamus to make you feel hungry
HORMONE ACTION
  • hormones can act in 3 different fashions
  • endocrine fashion :: acting at a great distance in the body
  • paracrine fashion :: acting nearby the target cells ex. prostaglandins and nitric oxide
  • autocrine fashion :: acts on it self ex. growth factor IGF1
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION FOR HORMONES
  • hydrophilic hormones :: cannot go through the plasma membrane thus the cells tend to cell-surface receptors ex. oxytocin and insulin; moves in the blood easily
      * second messenger :: water-soluble hormones cause these to produce within the cell to tell it to do smth. it amplifies the signal
  • lipophilic hormones :: can through the plasma membrane of a cell so it uses a intracellular receptor ex. estrogen and testosterone