Disorders of the Endocrine System Exam
Questions and answers
What does the endocrine system do?secretes hormonesHow do Peptide and protein hormones travel in
the blood?Freely because they are hydrophilic. They are water soluble and circulate freely in blood.
They have a short life span and need to get where they are going quickly. They have to bind to a cell
surface receptors.How do the steroid and thyroid hormones travel?They are hydrophobic so they
require carrier proteins. They are lipid soluble and can diffuse across and then they bind to a nuclear
receptors where they are incorporated into DNA.Describe Hypothalamic-Pituitary Regulationthe
hypothalamus controls release of anterior pituitary hormonesCorticotropin-Releasing Hormonesignals
the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitaryThryotropin Releasing Hormone
(TRH)Promotes secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL)Growth hormone-
releasing hormone (GHRH)Promotes secretion of growth hormone (GH) (not tropic because it releases
everywhere in the body)Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)Promotes secretion of follicle-
stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)What are the hypothalamic hormones that
inhibits AP hormones?SomatostatinDopamineSomatostatinhormone that inhibits release of growth
hormone and insulinDopamineinhibits prolactin and growth hormone.How does the hypothalymus
communicate with the posterior pituitary gland?nerve tractsWhat is feedback regulation?endocrine
system regulated by feedback mechanisms that enable endocrien cells to change rate of hormone
secretion.Describe the negative feedback systemMost common mechanism. Every change in the system
causes the system to return to equilibrium. Hormone level returns to set point.Describe how the
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Target cell is a negative feedback loop?- Hypothalamus produces releasing
hormone that stimulates production of tropic hormone by pituitary.- Tropic hormone stimulates
peripheral target gland to secrete hormone which acts on target cells to produce physiologic response.-
Increase in blood levels of target hormone travel back to the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary
will decrease production of tropic hormone.- maintains narrow range of target hormone in
blood.Describe the thyroid feedback mechanism- negative feedback loop- Thyroid hormone (T3, T4)
levels lower than setpoint- Hypothalamus secretes TRH- TRH stimulates Anterior pituitary secretion of
Thyroid stimulating hormone- TSH signals thyroid to produce T3 and T4- The increase of T3 and T4 turns
off TRH and TSH signaling in hypothalmus and apgDescribe a positive feedback loopA positive feedback
loop exaggerates a change in the controlled condition. It coordinates the action of multiple units and
makes things happen very quickly through action potentials (specifically causing the rising phase) and
cell signaling (signal cascades)What are the altertered aspects of altered endocrine
function?Hypofunction and HyperfunctionWhat is hypopituitarism?decreased secretion of pituitary
hormonesWhat are the manifestations of Hypopituitarism- occur gradually or can be acute and life
threatening. - weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, impairment of sexual function, cold intolerance.What
causes hypopituitarism1. pituitary tumor2. autoimmune disorders, infections, pituitary infarction,
pituitary destruction3. Sheehan syndrome - pituitary necrosis due to circulatory collapse related to
uterine hemorrhagingWhat is the AP loss sequecne of HypopituitarismWhat is the treatment of
hypopituitarismWhat are the growth hormone disorders?dwarfism, gigantism, acromegalyDescribe
dwarfismHyposecretion of GH hormone, usually due to panhypopituitarismDescribe gigantismExcessive
growth hormone present before the epiphyses of the bones have fused, produces an individual who is a
Questions and answers
What does the endocrine system do?secretes hormonesHow do Peptide and protein hormones travel in
the blood?Freely because they are hydrophilic. They are water soluble and circulate freely in blood.
They have a short life span and need to get where they are going quickly. They have to bind to a cell
surface receptors.How do the steroid and thyroid hormones travel?They are hydrophobic so they
require carrier proteins. They are lipid soluble and can diffuse across and then they bind to a nuclear
receptors where they are incorporated into DNA.Describe Hypothalamic-Pituitary Regulationthe
hypothalamus controls release of anterior pituitary hormonesCorticotropin-Releasing Hormonesignals
the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitaryThryotropin Releasing Hormone
(TRH)Promotes secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL)Growth hormone-
releasing hormone (GHRH)Promotes secretion of growth hormone (GH) (not tropic because it releases
everywhere in the body)Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)Promotes secretion of follicle-
stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)What are the hypothalamic hormones that
inhibits AP hormones?SomatostatinDopamineSomatostatinhormone that inhibits release of growth
hormone and insulinDopamineinhibits prolactin and growth hormone.How does the hypothalymus
communicate with the posterior pituitary gland?nerve tractsWhat is feedback regulation?endocrine
system regulated by feedback mechanisms that enable endocrien cells to change rate of hormone
secretion.Describe the negative feedback systemMost common mechanism. Every change in the system
causes the system to return to equilibrium. Hormone level returns to set point.Describe how the
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Target cell is a negative feedback loop?- Hypothalamus produces releasing
hormone that stimulates production of tropic hormone by pituitary.- Tropic hormone stimulates
peripheral target gland to secrete hormone which acts on target cells to produce physiologic response.-
Increase in blood levels of target hormone travel back to the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary
will decrease production of tropic hormone.- maintains narrow range of target hormone in
blood.Describe the thyroid feedback mechanism- negative feedback loop- Thyroid hormone (T3, T4)
levels lower than setpoint- Hypothalamus secretes TRH- TRH stimulates Anterior pituitary secretion of
Thyroid stimulating hormone- TSH signals thyroid to produce T3 and T4- The increase of T3 and T4 turns
off TRH and TSH signaling in hypothalmus and apgDescribe a positive feedback loopA positive feedback
loop exaggerates a change in the controlled condition. It coordinates the action of multiple units and
makes things happen very quickly through action potentials (specifically causing the rising phase) and
cell signaling (signal cascades)What are the altertered aspects of altered endocrine
function?Hypofunction and HyperfunctionWhat is hypopituitarism?decreased secretion of pituitary
hormonesWhat are the manifestations of Hypopituitarism- occur gradually or can be acute and life
threatening. - weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, impairment of sexual function, cold intolerance.What
causes hypopituitarism1. pituitary tumor2. autoimmune disorders, infections, pituitary infarction,
pituitary destruction3. Sheehan syndrome - pituitary necrosis due to circulatory collapse related to
uterine hemorrhagingWhat is the AP loss sequecne of HypopituitarismWhat is the treatment of
hypopituitarismWhat are the growth hormone disorders?dwarfism, gigantism, acromegalyDescribe
dwarfismHyposecretion of GH hormone, usually due to panhypopituitarismDescribe gigantismExcessive
growth hormone present before the epiphyses of the bones have fused, produces an individual who is a
