NURSING REVIEW LECTURE NOTES:

Dr. Andreu Leo Lominoque

ACUTE BIOLOGIC CRISIS IN – ENDOCRINOLOGY AND
METABOLISM
ANATOMY/ PHYSIOLOGY
PANCREAS
- Long triangular organ consist of head, body, tail
- C shaped curvature of the duodenum and the “tail”
extends beyond the stomach towards the spleen
- Supplied by the pancreaticoduodenal artery
2 main Function
- EXOCRINE : secrete digestive enzyme into the ducts
(pancreatic lipase- that helps digest fats)
- ENDOCRINE: secrete hormones directly into the
bloodstream. 5% of the total volume of the
pancreas
Physiology
- Cluster of cells appear to form tiny islands among
the exocrine cells
- Islets of Langerhans- composed of four distince
cells [alpha, beta, delta and PP] cells
- ALPHA CELLS – secrete glucagon
- BETA CELLS- secrete insulin
- DELTA CELLS- secrete somatostatin
- PP CELLS- secrete pancreatic polypeptide
- Neural network connect the hypothalamus to the
posterior pituitary
- Located at the base of the brain
- Recessed at the base of the cranial cavity in a
hollow depression called sella turcica
ANTERIOR PITUITARY
- Adenohypohysis
- Largest portion of the gland
- Produces; ACTH, TSH, FSH, LH, GH, and prolactin
POSTERIOR PITUITARY
- Neurohypophysis
- Produces: oxytocin and antidiuretic hormones
THYROID GLAND
- Located in the anterior neck
- Partially encases the trachea
- Basic functional unit is the thyroid follicles – filled
with protein named thyroglobulin
- Produces: Thyroid hormone, Calcitonin

Insulin
- Anabolic hormone that release is stimulated by
the presence of glucose
- Produced by beta cells
- Anabolic hormone – present during fed state, to
produce more complex compounds
- Storage of carbohydrates, protein and fat
nutrients
- Augments entry of potassium to cells
- Decreased or dysregulated in the Diabetes

Glucagon

- Produced by alpha cells in the pancreas

- Potent Gluconeogenic hormone
- Stimulate Glycogenolysis – release energy from
liver and muscles

Somatostatin

- Produced by pancreatic delta cells

- Inhibits both insulin and glucagon

Pancreatic Polypeptide

- Synthesized by the PP cells, within the islets of

Langerhans

PITUITARY GLAND AND HYPOTHALAMUS

- Vascular network connect the hypothalamus to

the anterior pituitary