Anatomy & Physiology - Lecture

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET BS NURSING / FIRST YEAR

Session # 12

LESSON TITLE: ENDOCRINE SYSTEM (Part1) Materials:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Book, pen and notebook
Upon completion of this lesson, you can:

1. Describe the four classes of chemical messengers;

2. List the main regulatory functions of endocrine system;
3. Define endocrine system and hormones;
4. Describe chemical categories of the nature of hormones;
5. Distinguish the control of hormone secretions & major
mechanisms that maintain hormone levels; Reference:
6. Describe the mechanisms of receptors classes;
VanPutte, C., Regan, J., & Russo, A. (2019). Seeley’s
7. Define pituitary gland & its relation to hypothalamus; and,
essentials of anatomy & physiology (10th ed.).
8. Describe the parts of pituitary glands with control & types of
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
hormone released from each.

LESSON REVIEW/PREVIEW
Take a review from the previous chapter by responding to the statement posted based on your own understanding.
Use the space provided. If not enough, you may write at the back portion of this page. Right after, you can proceed
comparing your responses from the Main Lesson in the previous chapter. Enjoy!
Choose one from special senses and illustrate the neuronal pathway of its function.

The retina, optic nerves, optic chiasm, optic tracts, lateral geniculate bodies, optic radiations, and visual cortex make up
the visual pathway. Because the retinae have their embryological origins in extensions of the diencephalon, the route is
functionally a component of the central nervous system.

MAIN LESSON
You must read & study the concepts and refer to figures/tables in Chapter 10 of the book.

Chemical Messengers – allow cells to communicate with each other to regulate body activities. Four
Classes of Chemical Messengers: (based on source & mode of transport)
1. Autocrine – stimulates the cell that originally secreted it, and sometimes nearby cells of same type
(ex: WBC)
2. Paracrine – local messengers secreted by one cell type but affect neighboring cells of different type; do
not travel in circulation but secreted into extracellular fluid (ex: histamine)
3. Neurotransmitter – secreted by neurons to activate another neuron, muscle cell or glandular cell;
secreted into a synaptic cleft (ex: acetylcholine)
4. Endocrine – secreted into bloodstream by certain glands & cell; affect cells distant from source (ex:
epinephrine)

Main Regulatory Functions of Endocrine System:

1. Metabolism 6. Heart rate and blood pressure regulation
2. Control of food intake & digestion 7. Control of blood glucose & other nutrients
3. Tissue development 8. Control of reproductive functions
4. Ion regulation 9. Uterine contractions & milk release
5. Water balance 10. Immune system regulation

Endocrine System – includes glands & specialized endocrine cells that secrete hormones into the
bloodstream.

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Hormone – a chemical messenger that is secreted into the blood, travels to a distant target tissue, & binds to specific
receptors to produce a coordinated set of events in that target tissue.

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Chemical Nature of Hormones:
1. Lipid-Soluble Hormones – nonpolar; include steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, and fatty acid
derivatives hormones, such as eicosanoids.
✔ Small molecules; insoluble in water-based fluids (plasma); therefore, attached to binding
proteins for transport through bloodstream & protection of hormones
✔ Degraded slowly & not rapidly eliminated from circulation; life span ranges from days to
several weeks
✔ Breakdown products are excreted via urine or bile

2. Water-Soluble Hormones – polar; includes protein, peptide, & most amino acids derivative hormones
Many circulate as free hormones; large molecules diffuse from blood into tissue spaces slowly;
✔ small molecules attached to binding protein to avoid being filtered out
✔ Regulate activities that have rapid onset and short duration
✔ Relatively short half-lives due to rapid degradation of enzymes (proteases) within bloodstream;
hormone breakdown products are then excreted in urine; however, some hormones have
chemical modifications, such as adding of carbohydrate groups, which prolongs their life span.

Types of Stimuli Regulating the Hormone Release: (See figures 10.2-10.4, pages 266-267)
Stimuli in Control Stimulation Inhibition
Companion hormones – secreted
with release of humoral stimuli; oppose
directly by blood-borne chemicals to hormones that are
Humoral Stimuli the effect of secreted hormone &
sensitive to blood levels of particular substances (insulin)
counteract its actions
(glucagon)
stimulated by action potential, releasing neurotransmitter from
neurons into synapse with cell producing hormones
(epinephrine) neurons inhibit target by releasing
inhibitory neurotransmitter causing the
Neural Stimuli
Neuropeptide – chemical messengers secreted by target endocrine gland to not secrete its
neurons directly to blood hormone
Releasing Hormones – specialized neuropeptides that
stimulate hormone secretion from other endocrine cells
common mode; release of hormones to
prevent secretion of other hormones
hormone is secreted to stimulate the secretion of other
Hormonal Stimuli (inhibiting hormones from
hormones (tropic hormones of anterior pituitary gland)
hypothalamus prevent the secretion
of tropic hormones)

Major Mechanism that Maintain Hormone Levels in Blood: (See process figure 10.5, page 268)
▪ Negative Feedback: prevents further hormone secretion once a set point is achieved
▪ Positive Feedback: self-promoting system whereby the stimulation of hormone secretion increases
over time

Receptors – proteins where the hormones bind

Receptor Site – location on cell where hormone binds; each characteristic allow only a specific type of hormone
to bind it
Specificity – tendency for each type of hormone to bind to one type of receptor (See figure 10.6, page 268)

Classes of Receptors: (See process figure 10.7-10.11, pages 269-272)

1. Nuclear Receptors – often found in cell nucleus where the lipid-soluble hormones bind; cannot
respond immediately because it takes time to produce mRNA and the protein
▪ Hormone-Response Elements – fingerlike projections that recognize & bind specific
nucleotide sequence in DNA; found in receptors that bind to DNA
▪ Transcription Factor – forms from combination of hormone and its receptors
▪ The hormone-receptor complex activates genes, which in turn activate the DNA to produce
mRNA.

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 ▪ The mRNA increases the synthesis of certain proteins that produce the target cell’s response.
2. Membrane-Bound Receptors – proteins that extend across the cell membrane where water- soluble
hormones bind; with hormone-binding sites exposed on cell membrane’s outer surface.
▪ Activate responses in two ways:
o Alter the activity of G proteins (α, β, and γ) at the inner surface of cell membrane the
✔ α subunit of G protein can bind to ion channels & cause them to open or change
the rate of synthesis of intracellular mediators, such as cAMP
o Alter the activity of intracellular enzymes directly
▪ These activations elicit second messengers that activates the cellular response referred to as
second-messenger systems which act rapidly because they act on already existing enzymes
▪ Has a signal amplification which means that a single hormone activates many second messengers,
each of which activates enzymes that produce enormous amount of final product

Pituitary Gland / Hypophysis – small gland that rests in sella turcica which is controlled by hypothalamus;
connected to hypothalamus by infundibulum; divided into two parts: (See table 10.2, page 274 and figure
10.12, page 273)
1. Anterior Pituitary – made of epithelium from embryonic oral cavity (See process figure 10.13, page
275)
▪ Secretions are controlled by hormones that pass through Hypothalamic-Pituitary Portal
System (capillary beds and veins that transport the releasing and inhibiting hormones)
2. Posterior Pituitary – extension of brain & composed of nerve cells (See process figure 10.14, page
276)
▪ Hormone secreted are controlled by action potentials carried by axons that pass from the
hypothalamus (Direct Innervation)

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

You will answer and rationalize this by yourself. This will be recorded as your quiz. One (1) point will be given
to the correct answer and another one (1) point for the correct ratio. Superimpositions or erasures in your
answer/ratio is not allowed. You are given 20 minutes for this activity.

Multiple Choice

1. are intercellular chemical signals, secreted by nerve cells and are important in functions of the
nervous system.
a. Pheromones d. Autocrine agents
b. Hormones e. Paracrine agents
c. Neurotransmitters
ANSWER: C
RATIO: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that sends signal from a neuron towards the synapse to a target cell.
These are chemical substances made by the neuron specifically used for transmitting a message.

2. Hormones alter cellular properties and functions by, except:

a. changing the quantities of enzymes present. d. changing the rates of transcription or
b. opening or closing ion channels. translation in a cell.
c. changing the rate of enzyme formation. e. all of these are true.
ANSWER: E
RATIO: All of the options regarding to the cellular properties and functions of hormones are true.

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3. Lipid soluble hormones:
a. are polar molecules
b. bind to intracellular receptors in the target cell
c. dissolve readily in water for easy transport in the blood
d. include those hormones derived from proteins and amino acids
e. all of the items are true of lipid soluble hormones.
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Lipid soluble hormones is a non-polar which includes steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, and fatty acids derivatives
hormones, such as eicosanoids.

4. Which of these statements concerning hormone action is not true?

a. Most protein and peptide hormones bind to receptors on the surface of the cell membrane.
b. The combination of a hormone with its receptor may alter the permeability of the cell
membrane.
c. A hormone that combines with a receptor in the cell membrane may act as a first messenger.
d. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) functions as a second messenger.
e. None of these are not true statements.
ANSWER: A, B, C and D
RATIO: All of these options are true.

5. Intracellular receptors: (Select all that apply)

a. are located on the outside surface of the cell membrane.
b. typically bind to lipophilic (hydrophobic) chemical signals.
c. are exemplified by hormones such as steroids.
d. may cause changes in transcription and translation when bound to appropriate signals.
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Signaling cells that can bind to the ligand that is released create autocrine signals. Internal receptors, sometimes called
intracellular or cytoplasmic receptors, are located in the cell's cytoplasm and respond to hydrophobic ligand molecules that may
penetrate the plasma membrane.

6. Membrane-bound receptors cannot:

a. open or close membrane channels. d. produce a cascade effect by activating many
b. activate H proteins. enzymes inside the cell.
c. activate enzymes attached to the cell e. do all of these things.
membrane.
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Membrane -bound receptors cannot activate H proteins, it will only activate G proteins.

7. are produced in response to hormonal activation of G proteins.

a. primary messengers d. pheromones
b. hormones e. all of the items are correct
c. second messengers
ANSWER: C
RATIO: Secondary Messengers are molecules that transmit signals received at cell surface receptors, such as protein hormones and
growth factors.

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8. The structure that makes releasing and inhibiting hormones which control anterior pituitary hormone secretion
is the:
a. anterior pituitary d. adrenal gland
b. posterior pituitary e. pineal gland
c. hypothalamus
ANSWER: A
RATIO: Anterior Pituitary is made up of epithelium from embryonic oral cavity.

9. The posterior pituitary gland is stimulated to secrete hormones by:

a. stimulation of neurons within the c. stimulation of the cells of the infundibulum
hypothalamus d. stimulation of neurons within the anterior
b. stimulation of glandular cells within the pituitary
posterior pituitary e. all of the methods are correct.
ANSWER: A
RATIO: The activation of neurons in the hypothalamus stimulates the posterior gland to secrete hormones.

10. Pepper’s patient has been diagnosed with controlled diabetes mellitus. In response to high blood glucose, the
pancreas releases insulin to enable glucose to enter body cells. When the blood glucose level returns to normal,
insulin release stops. This is an example of regulation by:
a. endocrine dysplasia. d. neural regulation.
b. negative feedback. e. somatic regulation.
c. positive feedback.
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Blood sugar control is an example of negative feedback (insulin decreases blood glucose when levels are high, whereas
glucagon raises blood glucose when levels are low).

RATIONALIZATION ACTIVITY (THIS WILL BE DONE DURING THE FACE TO FACE INTERACTION)
The instructor will now rationalize the answers. You can now ask questions and debate among
yourselves. Write the correct answer and correct/additional ratio in the space provided.
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 RATIO:

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LESSON WRAP-UP
You will now mark (encircle) the session you have finished today in the tracker below. This is simply a visual to help
you track how much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do.

You are done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

AL Activity: CAT: MUDDIEST POINT

This technique will help you determine which key points were missed in the main lesson. You will respond to only
one question:

In today’s session, what was least clear to you?

None

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