Endocrine System

Brian G. Walker
Seattle Central Community College
Exocrine glands – secrete chemicals that body surfaces– includes INSIDE
surfaces. EXAMPLES?????
(digestive enzymes, sweat, pheromones)
Some chemicals (norepinepherine) can have multiple functions.
 Paracrine Regulation
• Prostoglandins – (fatty acid)
– Many functions (see text)
• Growth factors – (peptides/proteins)
– Make cells grow
– Vary by location
• (pg. 958)
 4 types of hormones
• Polypeptides – small (< 100) A.A. chains
• Glycoproteins – larger (>>100) AA chains
• Amines – made from AA’s tyrosine and
tryptophan
• Steroids – derived from cholesterol.

• TABLE 961 IN BOOK.

How hormones do their thing:

2 “second messengers”
- cAMP (pg. 207)
- IP3/Ca++ (pg. 209)
How hormones do their thing:
Positive vs. negative feedback
Hypothalamus
 Pituitary

Anterior
Posterior
 Anti-diuretic Hormone (ADH)

• ↑ Blood osmolality = ↑ ADH

– Stops water loss in kidney
– Increases thirst feeling.
– More fluid in blood = ↓ in osmolality

• ALCOHOL AFFECTS ADH.

• HOW?
Releasing or Inhibiting
Hormones
TRH GHIH
CRH PIH
GnRH MIH
GHRH GnIH
GH – Growth Hormone

• Glycoprotein
– 191 A.A.
• Muscle & Bone growth
• Metabolic regulation

Giantism and Dwarfism affect growing

human (young)

GIGANTISM
DWARFISH
 ACROMEGALY

overproduction of GH
….affects adults
Prolactin

• Glycoprotein
– 199 A.A.
• Huge # of functions in
mammals….
• Humans:
– Mammary growth
– Milk production
• Birds
– Crop milk production
FSH & LH

• Glycoproteins
• “Tropic Hormones”
– Affect other endocrine glands
– Specifically: “gonad”otropic
• Ovaries and Testis function
• Sperm and egg production
TSH

• Glycoprotein
• Tropic Hormone
– Affects thyroid gland’s release
of its hormones.
• Very similar structure to
FSH & LH.
Releasing or Inhibiting
Hormones
Melatonin (amine)
 Melatonin (amine)

• Similar functions to MSH in some

animals
• Humans: daily rhythms
– Day/light actions
• Much research examining effects
Thyroid hormones
 Thyroid hormones, cont.
• Growth and development
– Important in amphibian metamorphosis
 Thyroid hormones, cont.
• Growth and development
– Important in amphibian metamorphosis
– Cretinism – mental and growth retardation
• Need Iodine for synthesis
– No iodine, no synthesis….

IODINE
GOITER
 Thyroid hormones, cont.
• Growth and development
– Important in amphibian metamorphosis
– Cretinism – mental and growth retardation
• Need Iodine for synthesis
– No iodine, no synthesis….
• Produces Calcitonin
– Lowers blood Ca++
 Parathyroid hormone
• Parathyroid hormone
(PTH)
– Raises blood Ca++
– Works with Vitamin D
AGONISTIC HORMONES
T-cells in Immunity
 Pancreas
• Mainly digestive (exocrine) – secreting
digestive enzymes
 Pancreas
• Mainly digestive (exocrine) – secreting
digestive enzymes
• Endocrine functions:
– Islets of Langerhans – throughout Pancreas
– Glucagon (-cells) & Insulin (-cells)
• Agonistic hormones
• Peptides
• Glucose maintenance
Figure 45.10 Glucose homeostasis maintained by insulin and glucagon
• Diabetes mellitus – problem with insulin
– Type I – insulin dependent
• autoimmune attack on pancreas
• Stops insulin
• Must be supplied via injection. WHY?
• Childhood, less common
– Type II – insulin independent
• Reduced sensitivity to insulin
• Occurs later in life (~ 40 yrs)
• Heredity and obesity
 Adrenal gland
• STRESS hormones
 Adrenal gland
• STRESS hormones
– Adrenal MEDULLA
• Catecholamine release
– Epinepherine (adrenaline)
– Norepinepherine
(noradrenaline)
• Rapid stress responses
• Released by ACh -
neurotransmitter
• Rapid availability of glucose
for energy.
 Adrenal gland
• STRESS hormones
– Adrenal MEDULLA
– Adrenal CORTEX
• Responds to endocrine cues (ACTH), not neuronal
• Slower responses to stressors
• Corticosteroids
– Mineralocorticoids
– Glucocorticoids
Glucose metabolism Salt and Water
(get energy) balance

Also important in homeostasis….

Figure 45.14 Stress and the adrenal gland
 Sex steroids
• Found in both sexes
– Released via FSH and LH from WHERE???
– Affect growth, development, and sex characteristics
– Androgens - primarily MALE
– Estrogens – primarily FEMALE
– Progestins – also primarily FEMALE