Adrenal Cortex Hormones and Glucose Metabolism Quiz

Endocrine System Components

• The endocrine system consists of glands that produce and secrete hormones, which are chemical signals that regulate various bodily functions.

Primary Chemical Signal

• The primary chemical signal used by the endocrine system is hormones.

Nervous System

• The nervous system is responsible for voluntary control.

Endocrine System Response Time

• The response time of the endocrine system is slow, taking minutes, hours, or even days to respond.

Homeostasis

• The endocrine system works together with the nervous system to maintain homeostasis.

Hormones and Functions

• Prolactin is responsible for stimulating breast development and milk production in females.
• Thyroid hormone (T4) functions to increase the body's basal metabolic rate and is essential for tissue development and growth, especially the nervous system.
• Calcitonin is released in response to a rise in blood calcium levels and appears to decrease blood calcium concentrations.
• Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is produced by the parathyroid glands and causes calcium release from bones, increased reabsorption of calcium in kidney tubules, and production of calcitriol.
• Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is released by the posterior pituitary and acts on the kidneys to promote water reabsorption and conserve water.

Pituitary Gland

• The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that is anatomically and functionally related to the pituitary gland.
• The posterior pituitary is the part of the pituitary gland that is neural tissue derived from hypothalamic tissue.

Tropic Hormones

• Tropic hormones, produced by the anterior pituitary, are referred to as "tropic" because they "turn on or off" other endocrine glands.

Ovarian Function

• Luteinizing hormone (LH) triggers ovulation and production of oestrogens and progesterone by the ovaries.

Adrenal Gland

• The adrenal cortex is responsible for producing mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgens.
• Glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, are produced in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex and have a major role in glucose metabolism.

Glucocorticoids

• The main function of glucocorticoids in the body is to help the body respond to stress and maintain homeostasis.

Adrenal Medulla

• The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to acute, short-term stress.

Chronic vs. Acute Stress Response

• The main difference between the chronic stress response and the acute stress response in terms of hormone regulation is the duration and intensity of the response.

Thyroid Gland

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulates the normal development and secretory activity of the thyroid gland.

Endocrine Glands

• A characteristic of endocrine glands is that they produce and secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream.

Hormone Synthesis

• Insulin is synthesized from a single amino acid.

Hormone Action

• Lipophilic hormones, such as steroids, can diffuse across cell membranes.
• Hydrophilic hormones initiate signaling in target cells by binding to receptors on the cell surface.

Hormone Regulation

• The most common method of hormone regulation is negative feedback.

Uterine Contractions and Milk Ejection Reflex

• Oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions and dilation of the cervix, and contributes to the milk ejection reflex (letdown) and parent-newborn bonding.
• Oxytocin also plays a role in feelings of love and closeness.

Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)

• The function of ADH is to promote water reabsorption and conserve water.
• Alcohol decreases ADH secretion, leading to increased urine production.