Endocrine System Supplementary Information
Endocrine System Supplementary Information
Additional Terms Not Listed in Textbook
| Term | Definition | Example |
| cortic/o | cortex, outer region | corticosteroid |
| estr/o | female | estrogen |
| hormon/o | hormone | hormonal |
| phys/o | growing | hypophysectomy |
| pituitar/o | pituitary gland, hypophysis | pituitarism |
| somat/o | body | somatotropin |
| ster/o | solid structure | steroid |
Endocrine System Information Video
Areas of Clarification
This chapter focuses on the terms that relate to the Endocrine System. This includes combining forms and suffixes that are pertinent to this system. You will use the prefixes, suffixes, and additional combining forms you have learned in chapters 1-13 and apply them here to create medical terms pertaining to this system.
Nervous System vs. Endocrine System
| Characteristic | Endocrine System | Nervous System |
|---|---|---|
| Signaling mechanism(s) | Chemical | Chemical/electrical |
| Primary chemical signal | Hormones | Neurotransmitters |
| Distance traveled | Long or short | Always short |
| Response time | Fast or slow | Always fast |
| Environment targeted | Internal | Internal and external |
Endocrine and Nervous Systems. From Betts, et al., 2013. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Links to an external site.
Endocrine Glands and Their Major Hormones
| Endocrine Gland | Associated Hormones | Chemical Class | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pituitary (anterior) | Growth hormone (GH) | Protein | Promotes growth of body tissues |
| Pituitary (anterior) | Prolactin (PRL) | Peptide | Promotes milk production |
| Pituitary (anterior) | Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | Glycoprotein | Stimulates thyroid hormone release |
| Pituitary (anterior) | Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) | Peptide | Stimulates hormone release by adrenal cortex |
| Pituitary (anterior) | Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | Glycoprotein | Stimulates gamete production |
| Pituitary (anterior) | Luteinizing hormone (LH) | Glycoprotein | Stimulates androgen production by gonads |
| Pituitary (posterior) | Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) | Peptide | Stimulates water reabsorption by kidneys |
| Pituitary (posterior) | Oxytocin | Peptide | Stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth |
| Thyroid | Thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) | Amine | Stimulate basal metabolic rate |
| Thyroid | Calcitonin | Peptide | Reduces blood Ca2+ levels |
| Parathyroid | Parathyroid hormone (PTH) | Peptide | Increases blood Ca2+ levels |
| Adrenal (cortex) | Aldosterone | Steroid | Increases blood Na+ levels |
| Adrenal (cortex) | Cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone | Steroid | Increase blood glucose levels |
| Adrenal (medulla) | Epinephrine, norepinephrine | Amine | Stimulate fight-or-flight response |
| Pineal | Melatonin | Amine | Regulates sleep cycles |
| Pancreas | Insulin | Protein | Reduces blood glucose levels |
| Pancreas | Glucagon | Protein | Increases blood glucose levels |
| Testes | Testosterone | Steroid | Stimulates development of male secondary sex characteristics and sperm production |
| Ovaries | Estrogens and progesterone | Steroid | Stimulate development of female secondary sex characteristics and prepare the body for childbirth |
Endocrine Glands and Their Major Hormones. From Betts, et al., 2013. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site..