Skip to main content
Pearson+ LogoPearson+ Logo

Endocrine System exam Flashcards

Endocrine System exam
3 students found this helpful
Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/28
  • Endocrine System
    A chemical signaling system that uses hormones for long-distance communication, impacting growth, metabolism, and homeostasis.
  • Hypothalamus
    A brain region that regulates the pituitary gland and serves as a major connection between the nervous and endocrine systems.
  • What is the role of the thyroid gland?
    The thyroid gland regulates metabolic rate and calcium homeostasis.
  • Insulin
    A hormone produced by the pancreas that lowers blood sugar levels.
  • What is cortisol?
    Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that manages stress responses.
  • Steroid Hormones
    Lipid-soluble hormones that can cross cell membranes and typically modify gene expression.
  • What are water-soluble hormones?
    Hormones that cannot cross cell membranes and bind to cell surface receptors, often using second messengers for signal transduction.
  • Paracrine Signaling
    A type of cell signaling where cells release chemicals to communicate with nearby cells.
  • What is the function of the pituitary gland?
    The pituitary gland secretes hormones that regulate various bodily functions and other endocrine glands.
  • Adrenal Medulla
    The inner part of the adrenal gland that secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress.
  • What is the role of the pancreas in the endocrine system?
    The pancreas maintains blood sugar homeostasis by secreting insulin and glucagon.
  • Neurohormones
    Hormones produced by neuroendocrine cells that link the nervous and endocrine systems.
  • What is the function of growth hormone?
    Growth hormone stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration.
  • Calcitonin
    A hormone secreted by the thyroid that lowers blood calcium levels.
  • What is the HPA axis?
    The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a negative feedback loop that controls stress responses.
  • Epinephrine
    Also known as adrenaline, it is a hormone that prepares the body for fight-or-flight responses.
  • What are gonads?
    Endocrine glands that produce gametes (sperm and eggs) and secrete sex hormones.
  • Leptin
    A hormone produced by fat cells that inhibits appetite.
  • What is the role of the anterior pituitary gland?
    The anterior pituitary gland secretes hormones that regulate other endocrine glands and various bodily functions.
  • Parathyroid Hormone
    A hormone that increases blood calcium levels by stimulating bone resorption, decreasing calcium excretion in the kidneys, and increasing calcium absorption in the gut.
  • What is the function of melatonin?
    Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland, regulates circadian rhythms and induces sleepiness.
  • Tropic Hormones
    Hormones that stimulate other glands to secrete hormones.
  • What is the function of oxytocin?
    Oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions during labor, milk ejection during breastfeeding, and plays a role in social bonding.
  • Aldosterone
    A mineralocorticoid hormone that helps regulate water and electrolyte balance in the kidneys.
  • What is the role of the posterior pituitary gland?
    The posterior pituitary gland stores and releases hormones produced by the hypothalamus, such as oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH).
  • Thyroid Hormones (T3 and T4)
    Hormones synthesized from tyrosine that regulate metabolic rate, heart rate, and heat production.
  • What is the function of glucagon?
    Glucagon is a hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood sugar levels.
  • Ghrelin
    A hormone that stimulates appetite, acting opposite to leptin.