Nervous and Endocrine Systems Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary method by which the endocrine system transmits signals?

Mechanical vibrations

Direct cell contact

Electrical impulses through neurons

Chemical messengers through the bloodstream (correct)

Which hormone is primarily responsible for regulating metabolism and growth?

Testosterone

Thyroxine (correct)

Adrenaline

Insulin

Which of the following pairs is a correct example of a negative feedback loop?

Epinephrine - Insulin

TSH - ACTH (correct)

Cortisol - Aldosterone

Growth hormone - Calcitonin

Which gland is known as the 'master gland' of the endocrine system?

Pituitary gland (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of insulin in the body?

Lower blood sugar levels (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress?

Cortisol (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following hormones is primarily involved in the regulation of water balance?

ADH (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is known to raise blood sugar levels in response to low glucose?

Glucagon (A) Signup and view all the answers

What can be a physiological consequence of hormone imbalance?

Diabetes Mellitus (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following hormones is classified as a water-soluble hormone?

Epinephrine (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is primarily responsible for increasing protein synthesis and metabolic release of fat from adipose tissue?

Human Growth Hormone (hGH) (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does aldosterone primarily affect the body during stress responses?

Regulates water and ion balance (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of glucagon in blood glucose balance?

Stimulates the breakdown of glycogen to glucose (D) Signup and view all the answers

What condition may result from a deficiency of iodine in the diet?

Goitre formation (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on blood calcium levels?

Increases blood calcium levels (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the hypothalamus in relation to the pituitary gland?

Regulates the pituitary gland (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of hormone can diffuse across the lipid membrane to interact with cellular receptors?

Steroid hormones (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of insulin?

Lowers blood glucose levels (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect of calcitonin on blood calcium levels?

Decreases blood calcium levels (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the characteristics of hormonal communication?

Slow response and long-lasting effects (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of positive feedback in the endocrine system?

Increases the stimulus and moves the body away from homeostasis (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is responsible for the body's short-term stress response?

Epinephrine (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of thyroxine (T4) in the body?

Increases metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which cells in the pancreas are responsible for secreting insulin?

Beta cells (A) Signup and view all the answers

What triggers the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH)?

High blood osmotic pressure (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone released from the posterior pituitary is related to childbirth?

Oxytocin (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of glucagon in the body?

Stimulates glucose release from the liver (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of feedback mechanism primarily regulates estrogen levels in the body?

Negative feedback (B) Signup and view all the answers

What hormone is released when blood calcium levels fall?

Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is released to counteract high levels of glucose in the bloodstream?

Insulin (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is primarily involved in long-term stress response?

Cortisol (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormones are primarily released by the anterior pituitary gland?

hGH, prolactin, TSH, ACTH, FSH, and LH (D) Signup and view all the answers

What do glucocorticoids primarily regulate in response to stress?

Long-term metabolic processes (D) Signup and view all the answers

What condition is characterized by an inability to produce enough insulin?

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (C) Signup and view all the answers

What physiological change occurs due to aldosterone secretion?

Increased water reabsorption due to increased sodium levels (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between the roles of the adrenal medulla and the adrenal cortex?

Medulla releases hormones for short-term stress, cortex for long-term stress (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which gland is referred to as the 'master gland' of the endocrine system?

Pituitary gland (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes Diabetes Insipidus?

Inability to store or respond to ADH (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone increases permeability to glucose in liver cells?

Insulin (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a function of hormones released by the anterior pituitary?

Production of glucocorticoids (C) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Nervous System

Marked as 5 marks, 1NR (5 marks, 1 non-responsive question).
Includes Neuron (2 marks)
Includes Impulse (1 mark)
Includes Synaptic transmission (2 marks)
Includes Brain (2 marks)
Includes Eye & Ear (2-3 marks).

Endocrine System

Marked as ~6-7 marks.
Includes Glands & hormones (2 marks)
Includes Specific hormone functions (2 marks)
Includes Negative feedback loops (ie TSH, ACTH) (1 mark)
Includes What if (1 mark)
Includes Disorder (1 mark)

Nervous System vs Endocrine System

Nervous System acts via electrochemical impulses (action potentials & neurotransmitters).
Endocrine system acts via chemical messengers (hormones).
Nervous system communication is cell-to-cell (neurons to neurons or neurons to effector cells).
Endocrine system communication is via bloodstream to target cells.
Nervous system response is fast, short-term.
Endocrine system response is slow, long-lasting.

Endocrine System: Feedback Loops

Positive feedback increases the initial stimulus and moves the body away from homeostasis.
Examples include oxytocin release during parturition.
Negative feedback inhibits the initial stimulus and returns the body to homeostasis.
Examples include regulation of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Key Endocrine Glands

Hypothalamus
Pituitary gland
Thyroid gland
Parathyroid gland
Thymus
Adrenal gland
Pancreas
Ovary
Testis

Hypothalamus & Pituitary Gland

Hypothalamus regulates the pituitary gland.
Hypothalamus releases tropic hormones (stimulates other glands).
Pituitary gland is considered the "master gland".
Pituitary gland releases hormones involved in growth, development, metabolism, and reproduction.

Pituitary Hormones

Posterior pituitary releases hypothalamic hormones oxytocin and ADH.
Anterior pituitary releases hormones synthesized by the pituitary including hGH, prolactin, TSH, ACTH, FSH, and LH.

Adrenal Gland

Adrenal medulla (inner layer) secretes Epinephrine and norepinephrine, responsible for short-term stress response.
Adrenal cortex (outer layer) secretes Glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol) and mineralocorticoids (e.g., aldosterone), responsible for long-term stress response.

Pancreas

Pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine.
Islets of Langerhans = specialized pancreatic cells secreting hormones to regulate glucose retention.
Alpha cells secrete glucagon.
Beta cells secrete insulin.

Water Soluble & Fat Soluble Hormones

Water-soluble hormones (proteins, peptides, and amino acids) cannot cross the lipid membrane and bind to external receptor sites.
Examples include hGH and epinephrine.
Fat-soluble hormones (steroids) diffuse across the lipid membrane and bind to receptor sites within the cytoplasm .
Examples include sex hormones.

Hormone Responses

Growth and metabolism - hGH, TSH, thyroxine, calcitonin, and PTH.
Stress - epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, ACTH, and aldosterone.
Blood glucose - glucagon and insulin.
Water and ion balance - ADH.

Human Growth Hormone (hGH)

Secreted by the anterior pituitary gland.
Targets almost all body tissues: increases protein synthesis, cell division, metabolic release, and promotes cartilage, bone and muscle tissue growth.
Important in childhood development.

Thyroxine (T4)

Secreted by the thyroid gland.
Targets almost all body tissues: increases metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
High T4 = hyperthyroidism (symptoms?)
Low T4 = hypothyroidism (symptoms?).

T4 Regulation

T4 (thyroxine) is controlled via negative feedback by TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone).
When thyroxine levels fall, TSH is released from the anterior pituitary, stimulating thyroxine production.
When thyroxine levels rise, TSH production is suppressed by the hypothalamus.

Thyroid and Iodine

Thyroid requires iodine to produce thyroxine.
Lack of iodine inhibits thyroxine production and can lead to goiter (thyroid gland enlargement).

Calcitonin

Secreted by the thyroid gland.
↑ [Ca²⁺] in blood = calcitonin stimulates calcium uptake from blood into bones.
Lowers blood Ca²⁺ levels.

Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)

Secreted by the parathyroid glands.
↓ [Ca²⁺] in blood = PTH released, stimulating breakdown of bones into calcium phosphate.
Increases blood Ca²⁺ levels. Vitamin D activation and increased calcium reabsorption in intestines are also stimulated by PTH.

Calcitonin and PTH

Calcitonin and PTH work antagonistically to regulate blood Ca²⁺.

Stress Hormones

Stress hormones are secreted by the adrenal glands.
Epinephrine and norepinephrine (secreted by the adrenal medulla) regulate short-term stress response ("fight or flight").
Cortisol (secreted by the adrenal cortex) regulates long-term stress response.
Adrenal medulla hormones trigger rapid response via nerve impulses from the hypothalamus. Increase breathing and heart rate to prepare for action.

Cortisol

Secreted by adrenal cortex
Regulated by ACTH (released by anterior pituitary).
Regulates long-term stress response. Increases muscle breakdown into amino acids.
Promotes breakdown of fat cells.

Aldosterone

Secreted by the adrenal cortex.
Regulates long-term stress response by promoting elevated oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells.
Increases sodium absorption in nephrons (kidneys).
Increased solute in blood = increased water absorption, increasing blood pressure.

Insulin & Glucagon

Secretion by Pancreatic cells.
Insulin: lowers blood [glucose]. Secreted by beta cells of islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, increases permeability to glucose in skeletal muscle and liver cells, leading to storage as glycogen.
Glucagon: increases blood [glucose]. Secreted by alpha cells of islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Breakdown of glycogen in liver cells and fat in adipose tissue to release glucose into the bloodstream.

Insulin & Glucagon Regulation

Insulin and glucagon work antagonistically to maintain blood glucose levels. In other words, insulin reduces blood glucose, glucagon increases it.

Diabetes Mellitus

Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in childhood. The immune system attacks beta cells, decreasing insulin production. Requires daily insulin injections.
Type 2 diabetes develops over time. Cell receptors stop responding to insulin, or beta cells produce less insulin. Requires diet, exercise and sometimes medication to regulate.

Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)

Secreted by posterior pituitary when blood osmotic pressure is high (↓ [water]).
Target: nephrons in kidneys. Inhibits water loss.
Regulation of water reabsorption, making nephron tubules more permeable to water in order to form concentrated urine. Decreased osmotic pressure signals negative feedback to the hypothalamus which reduces ADH production.

Diabetes Insipidus

Inability to produce, store, or properly respond to ADH.
Characterized by large urine output.
Can occur during pregnancy. Can be treated with ADH administration.

Likely Disorder Questions:

Diabetes (Mellitus type I, Mellitus type II, Insipidus)
Growth (Too much or too little hGH → gigantism or dwarfism)
Thyroxine (too much → high metabolism (Grave's disease) or too little → low metabolism (goiter))

Other

Additional details and potential questions about the different glands and hormone responses for the human body and the associated diseases.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the Nervous and Endocrine Systems with questions covering neurons, impulse transmission, hormonal functions, and feedback loops. This quiz will challenge your understanding of how these systems interact and function within the body. Dive into the complexities of human physiology!