Term | Definition |
Adenohypophysis | Anterior pituitary gland; larger of the pituitary glands; consists of glandular tissue |
Adrenal cortex | Outer portion of the adrenal gland that secretes corticosteroids |
Adrenal gland | Gland perched on top of the kidney; consists of 2 distinct glands - the adrenal medulla & the adrenal cortex |
Adrenal medulla | Inner portion of adrenal gland that functions as part of the sympathetic nervous system |
Catacholamines | Epinephrine and norepinephrine; secreted by adrenal medulla |
Corticosteroids | Steroid hormones secreted by adrenal cortex |
Endocrine gland | Ductless glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream |
Gonads | Primary sex organs, which are the testes in males and the ovaries in females |
Graves' disease | Disorder resulting from hypersecretion of thyroid hormone |
Hormones | Chemicals secreted by glands and specialized cells of the endocrine system |
Neurohypophysis | Posterior pituitary gland; smaller of the pituitary glands; consists of neural tissue |
Pancreas | Secretes digestive enzymes (exocrine function) as well as hormones used to regulate blood glucose levels (endocrine function) |
Parathyroid glands | Glands embedded on the posterior surface of the thyroid gland that secrete a hormone used to regulate blood calcium levels |
Pineal gland | Produces the hormone melatonin, which increases at night and decreases during the day |
Pituitary gland | Small gland attached to the lower surface of the hypothalamus that secretes a number of hormones that regulate many bodily processes; consists of an anterior and posterior lobe |
Target cells | Cells having receptors for a particular hormone |
Tetany | Sustained muscle contraction |
Thymus | Secretes hormones having a role in the development of the immune system |
Thyroid gland | Gland in the neck theat secretes hormones that affect the body's metabolic rate |
Infundibulum | A stalk that connects the hypothalamus and pituitary |
Releasing hormones | Stimulate the anterior pituitary to secrete its hormones |
Inhibiting hormones | Suppress hormone secretion by the anterior pituitary |
Tropic hormones | Stimulate other endocrine cells to release their hormones |
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | Stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete thyroid hormone; thyrotropin |
Growth hormone (GH) | Acts on the entire body to promote protein synthesis, lipid & carb metabolism, & bone & skeletal muscle growth; somatotropin |
Luteinizing hormone (LH) | A gonadotropin that stimulates ovulation & estrogen & progesterone synthesis in females & the secretion of testosterone by the testes in males |
Prolactin | Stimulates milk production in the mammary glands in females; in males, it may make the testes more sensitive to LH |
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) | Stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete corticosteroids |
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | Gonadotropin that stimulates the production of eggs in the ovaries of females & sperm in the testes of males |
Oxytocin | Stimulates contraction of the uterus during childbirth; also triggers the release of milk from the breasts during lactation |
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) | Acts on the kidneys to reduce urine volume & prevent dehydration; also called vasopressin |
Thyroid colloid | Thick fluid that fills the thyroid follicles of thryoid tissue |
Calcitonin | Secreted by the parafollicular cells of the thyroid that triggers the deposition of calcium in bone, thus, promoting bone formation |
Aldosterone | Principle mineralocorticoid that acts on the kidneys to promote Na+ retention & K+ secretion; also causes water retention |
Cortisol | Principle glucocorticoid that helps the body adapt to stress, repair damaged tissue, has an anti-inflammatory effect, suppresses the immune system if secreted over a long period, & essential for maintaining normal BP |
Alpha cells | Cells in the pancreas that secrete the hormone glucagone |
Beta cells | Cells in the pancreas that secrete the hormone insulin |
Delta cells | Cells in the pancreas that secrete somatostatin, a hormone that works within the pancreas to inhibit the release of glucagon, insulin, & growth hormone |
Prostaglandins | Lipid molecules that integrate the activities of other cells; released within the tissue where they are produced |