BMS129 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Glucocorticoid, Endocrine System, Dwarfism
BMS129 Study guide - Week 9 Section 1 - Endocrinology
This topic is split into 3 lectures:
1. A general overview of the endocrine system
2. Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
3. Endocrine glands and disorders
General advice: read textbook references, lecture slides, any relevant textbook
questions, and assess learning against learning outcomes.
Section 2 - Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
Recommended readings
: Saladin Chapter 17 pp 637-645 & 667-668 and the second
lecture of the endocrine system lectures.
When finished with this section, test your knowledge against these learning outcomes,
and go back to revise the ones you are unfamiliar with.
1. Describe the anatomy of the hypothalamus & pituitary gland & their relationship
to each other
2. List hormones produced by the hypothalamus, list target organ/s or tissue & state
principal effects
3. List hormones produced by the anterior pituitary gland, list target organ/s or
tissue & state principal effects
4. List hormones stored by the posterior pituitary gland, list target organ/s or tissue
& state principal effects
5. Explain how pituitary secretion is controlled by the hypothalamus and target
organs and exemplify using multiple examples
6. Describe the effects of growth hormone
7. Describe the effects of growth hormone hypo & hypersecretion
Describe the anatomy of the hypothalamus & pituitary gland & their relationship
to each other
- The hypothalamus makes up the inferior region of the diencephalon (refer to
nervous system section)
- The pituitary gland is inferior to the hypothalamus and attached by a stalk called
the infundibulum
- The pituitary gland consists of two major regions: anterior and posterior.
Remember: diencephalon, pituitary inferior to hypothalamus, attached by infundibulum,
anterior/posterior regions
Test yourself: describe the anatomy of the pituitary gland and its relationship to the
hypothalamus
List hormones produced by the hypothalamus, list target organ/s or tissue &
state principal effects
There are 8 hormones produced by the hypothalamus, and this section of the study
guide is focused on memorising all of them, their target organs/tissue and their effects.
Hormone
Hormone
Target Organ
Principal Effect
Releasing hormones - stimulate/inhibit hormones in anterior pituitary gland
Thyrotropin
releasing hormone
(TRH)
Secretion of
thyroid-stimulating
hormone (TSH) and
prolactin
Thyroid gland
Growth of thyroid,
secretion of thyroid
hormone
Corticotropin
releasing hormone
(CRH)
Secretion of
adrenocorticotropic
hormone (ACTH)
Adrenal cortex
Growth of adrenal
cortex, secretion of
glucocorticoids
Gonadotropin
releasing hormone
(GnRH)
Secretion of
follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH)
Female: ovaries
Male: testes
Female: growth of
ovarian follicles,
secretion of
Document Summary
Bms129 study guide - week 9 section 1 - endocrinology. This topic is split into 3 lectures: a general overview of the endocrine system, hypothalamus and pituitary gland, endocrine glands and disorders. General advice: read textbook references, lecture slides, any relevant textbook questions, and assess learning against learning outcomes. Recommended readings : saladin chapter 17 pp 637-645 & 667-668 and the second lecture of the endocrine system lectures. & state principal effects: explain how pituitary secretion is controlled by the hypothalamus and target organs and exemplify using multiple examples, describe the effects of growth hormone, describe the effects of growth hormone hypo & hypersecretion. Describe the anatomy of the hypothalamus & pituitary gland & their relationship to each other. The hypothalamus makes up the inferior region of the diencephalon (refer to nervous system section) The pituitary gland is inferior to the hypothalamus and attached by a stalk called the infundibulum.
