The Endocrine System MCAT
Glands and Hormones Overview
1. What are exocrine glands? - Answer: Exocrine glands release enzymes into the external environment through specific ducts.
2. What characterizes endocrine glands? - Answer: Endocrine glands release hormones directly into body fluids...
- Answer: Exocrine glands release enzymes into the external environment through specific ducts.
2. What characterizes endocrine glands?
- Answer: Endocrine glands release hormones directly into body fluids, such as blood, without the use
of ducts.
3. What are receptors in hormonal activity?
- Answer: Receptors are proteins that hormones specifically bind to, and they exhibit high specificity
for particular hormones.
Types of Hormones
4. What are peptide hormones?
- Answer: Peptide hormones are derived from peptides and can vary in size, often including
carbohydrate parts. They are produced in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are water-soluble.
5. How are steroid hormones defined?
- Answer: Steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol and share chemical similarities with it. These
hormones are synthesized through a series of steps primarily in the smooth ER and mitochondria. Being
lipids, they require special transport proteins to become soluble in the bloodstream.
6. What are tyrosine derivatives?
- Answer: Tyrosine derivatives are hormones synthesized by enzymes found in the cytosol or on the
rough ER.
, Specific Functionality
7. What is the function of an effector in hormone action?
- Answer: An effector refers to the target cell of a peptide hormone, which is specifically affected by
that hormone.
8. What role does an intracellular second messenger play?
- Answer: When a peptide hormone binds to its receptor, it may activate an intracellular second
messenger that relays the signal within the cell.
Examples of Hormones
9. Which peptides are produced by the anterior pituitary gland?
- Answer: Hormones from the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) include Growth Hormone (GH),
Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Prolactin, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
(TSH), and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH).
10. What hormones are secreted by the posterior pituitary gland?
- Answer: The posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) releases Oxytocin and Antidiuretic Hormone
(ADH/Vasopressin).
11. What is the parathyroid hormone?
- Answer: The primary parathyroid hormone is Parathyroid Hormone (PTH).
12. Which hormones are produced by the pancreas?
- Answer: Pancreatic hormones include Somatostatin, Insulin, and Glucagon.
13. What glucocorticoids and mineral corticoids are produced in the adrenal cortex?
- Answer: The adrenal cortex releases Cortisol, androgens, and Aldosterone.
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