MOD 1: Endocrine System

1. Highlight the structural and functional organisation of the major endocrine glands
covered in this module
2. Describe different chemical types of hormones and identify how they work
- lipid-soluble/ steroid: must be attached to transport protein in blood
(increase solubility, reduce kidney excretion)
- → bind to intracellular receptors
- water-soluble/ peptide: travel freely in blood
- → bind to extracellular receptors (e.g G-protein coupled receptors-
binding to G protein results in secondary messenger production,
tyrosine kinase receptors results in phosphorylation)
3. Describe the structural and functional organisation of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary
Axis
- Hypothalamus: links the endocrine and nervous systems, and
synthesises stimulating and inhibiting hormones that act on the pituitary
gland in (addition to oxytocin and ADH)

1. Neurosecretory cells synthesise and secrete the following hormones

into the primary plexus of the hypophyseal portal system in the median
eminence to then the hypophyseal portal veins and to the secondary
plexus and act on the cells of the anterior pituitary:

- → somatocrinin/ growth hormone releasing hormone +

somatostatin (act on somatotrophs)
- → thyrotropin/ thyroid releasing hormone (on thyrotrophs)
- → gonadotropin releasing hormone (on gonadotrophs)
- → prolactin releasing hormone + dopamine (on lactotrophs)
- → corticotropin releasing hormone (on corticotrophs)
- Pituitary gland: connected to hypothalamus via infundibulum
- → Posterior pituitary: pars nervosa (stores and releases oxytocin +
antidiuretic hormone (ADH) synthesised by cell bodies/ neurosecretory
cells of the hypothalamus), infundibulum (neural axons with their
terminals )
- → Anterior pituitary: pars distalis (produces hormones), pars tuberalis
(sheath from pars distalis that winds around infundibulum)

2. The following hormones secreted by the hormone-secreting cells of

the anterior pituitary will enter back into the secondary plexus of the
hypophyseal system to the anterior hypophyseal veins and into the
general circulation.

- → somatotrophs: secrete human growth hormone

 - → thyrotrophs: thyroid stimulating hormone
- → gonadotrophs: gonadotropin (luteinising + follicle stimulating
hormones)
- → lactotrophs: prolactin
- → corticotrophs: adrenocorticotropic hormone
4. Discuss the structural organisation of the posterior and anterior pituitary glands
and describe the regulation and highlight the function of hormones involved
- Posterior pituitary:
- releases oxytocin and ADH into general circulation via posterior hypophyseal
veins
- → oxytocin: released when the cervix stretches, resulting in the contraction of
the uterus (also stimulates milk ejection)
- → antidiuretic hormone (ADH): released when high osmolarity, which reduces
water loss, therefore increases blood pressure (kidney = reduce urination,
sweat glands = reduce sweat production, blood vessels = vasoconstriction)
- Anterior pituitary:
- → human growth hormone (somatotrophs): stimulates liver (increase glucose
production), bone + soft tissues (tissue growth via protein synthesis and cell
division) and secretes insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) that act on cartilage and
bone + soft tissues

→ Regulated by neurosecretory hormones (somatocrinin/ growth

hormone releasing hormone and somatostatin) as well as negative
feedback loop (GH and IGFs will reduce GH)

→ Deficiency = dwarfism, excess= gigantism/ acromegaly

- → thyroid stimulating hormone (thyrotrophs): stimulate thyroid gland to

synthesise thyroid hormones
- → gonadotropins (gonadotrophs): FSH (females- oocyte development +
oestrogen secretion, males- spermatogenesis) and LH (females- oestrogens and
progesterone secretion, ovulation, formation of corpus luteum, males-
testosterone production in testes)
- → prolactin (lactotrophs): mammary glands for milk production
- → adrenocorticotropic hormone (corticotrophs): acts on adrenal cortex to
secrete glucocorticoids (cortisol)