Endocrine System exam Flashcards

A chemical signaling system that uses hormones for long-distance communication, impacting growth, metabolism, and homeostasis.

A brain region that regulates the pituitary gland and serves as a major connection between the nervous and endocrine systems.

The thyroid gland regulates metabolic rate and calcium homeostasis.

A hormone produced by the pancreas that lowers blood sugar levels.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that manages stress responses.

Lipid-soluble hormones that can cross cell membranes and typically modify gene expression.

Hormones that cannot cross cell membranes and bind to cell surface receptors, often using second messengers for signal transduction.

A type of cell signaling where cells release chemicals to communicate with nearby cells.

The pituitary gland secretes hormones that regulate various bodily functions and other endocrine glands.

The inner part of the adrenal gland that secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress.

The pancreas maintains blood sugar homeostasis by secreting insulin and glucagon.

Hormones produced by neuroendocrine cells that link the nervous and endocrine systems.

Growth hormone stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration.

A hormone secreted by the thyroid that lowers blood calcium levels.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a negative feedback loop that controls stress responses.

Also known as adrenaline, it is a hormone that prepares the body for fight-or-flight responses.

Endocrine glands that produce gametes (sperm and eggs) and secrete sex hormones.

A hormone produced by fat cells that inhibits appetite.

The anterior pituitary gland secretes hormones that regulate other endocrine glands and various bodily functions.

A hormone that increases blood calcium levels by stimulating bone resorption, decreasing calcium excretion in the kidneys, and increasing calcium absorption in the gut.

Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland, regulates circadian rhythms and induces sleepiness.

Hormones that stimulate other glands to secrete hormones.

Oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions during labor, milk ejection during breastfeeding, and plays a role in social bonding.

A mineralocorticoid hormone that helps regulate water and electrolyte balance in the kidneys.

The posterior pituitary gland stores and releases hormones produced by the hypothalamus, such as oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

Hormones synthesized from tyrosine that regulate metabolic rate, heart rate, and heat production.

Glucagon is a hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood sugar levels.

A hormone that stimulates appetite, acting opposite to leptin.