11:067:450 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Rankl, Steroid Hormone Receptor, Bone

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Animal Science
• Course: 11:067:450
• Professor: Aparna Zama

Document Summary

The parathyroid glands are only physically associated with the thyroid gland, but functionally they are very different. Parathyroid glands are embedded in the thyroid tissue and are made up of densely packed tissue and they have only one product that is known. They produce the parathormone, which is heavily involved with calcium homeostasis. Calcium can act as its own hormone- it is a second signaling ion and can also be involved in bone development and mineralization. Vitamin d is a unique hormone where it is endogenously synthesized depending on exposure to sunlight- we create the active form of vitamin d in our skin and it is metabolized and activated in other tissue. It has steroid-like actions and it is also involved in calcium metabolism. The parathormone acts sometimes in opposition or support with vitamin d and together they regulate calcium levels in the body. Calcitonin is produced by the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland.