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Endocrine System
Word parts
Acr/o: extremities
Calc/o: calcium
Chrom/o: color
Phys/o: air, gas
Toxic/o: poison
Adrenal/o, adren/o: adrenal gland
Gluc/o, glyc/o: sugar, sweetness
Parathyroid/o: parathyroid gland
Pituitar/o: pituitary gland
Sphen/o: wedge, sphenoid bone
Thym/o: thymus gland
Thyr/o, thyroid/o: thyroid gland
Phe/o: dusky, dark
Pan-: all
Overview
• Endocrinologist: a medical doctor that deals with
disease of the endocrine system
• Endocrinology: the branch of medicine concerned
with hormone imbalances
• Parts: ducts, glands, hormones
• Functions: to regulate various body functions and
keep the internal environment of the body stable
• Regulates mood, controls metabolism and growth
and development
• Influences sexual and reproductive functions
Overview
Homeostasis: the ability of the body to maintain a
stable internal environment
Hormone: a chemical substance produced by the
body that affects growth and development, sexual
function, mood, metabolism and many other
processes
Metabolism: the sum of all chemical and physical
processes occurring within living cells
Diseases and Conditions
• Addison disease: decreased function of the adrenal
gland that results in muscle weakness and atrophy,
loss of fluids and electrolytes, low blood pressure,
hypoglycemia and hyperpigmentation of the skin
• Cushing syndrome: excessive cortisol hormones
due to tumors or medications
• Blood-glucose balances
Diseases and Conditions
• Diabetes Mellitus: a group of diseases
characterized by high blood-glucose levels due to
defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both
• Type 1: childhood diabetes with abrupt onset
caused by destruction of pancreatic cells and
insufficient insulin absorption
• Type 2: adult diabetes with gradual onset caused
by lowered insulin production
Diseases and Conditions
• Insulinoma: a tumor of pancreatic cells
• Pancreatitis: inflammation of the pancreas when
pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated
in the pancreas instead of the duodenum
• Panhypopituitarism: total pituitary impairment
that causes loss of hormone activity
• Pheochromocytoma: a rare adrenal gland tumor
that causes excessive release of epinephrine
(adrenaline) and norepinephrine (hormone that
regulate heartrate and blood pressure)
Diseases and Conditions
• Hypothyroidism: thyroid hormone deficiency that
is the result of a developmental problem, injury,
disease or dietary deficiency
• Cretinism: hypothyroidism in infants
• Can lead to mental retardation, growth impairment, low
body temperature and abnormal bone formation
• Myxedema: hypothyroidism in adults
• Characterized by edema, weight gain, cold intolerance,
fatigue, depression, and muscle and joint pain
Diseases and Conditions
• Hyperthyroidism: excessive secretion of thyroid
hormones resulting from a developmental problem,
injury, disease or dietary deficiency
• Graves disease: an autoimmune disease that
causes goiters (enlarged thyroid gland),
exophthalmos (bulging eyes) elevated metabolic
rate, weight loss, excessive perspiration, muscle
weakness and emotional instability
Diseases and Conditions
• Hypopituitarism: a deficiency of growth hormone
resulting in a short stature with normal body
proportions “pituitary dwarfism”
• Gigantism: excessive secretion of growth hormone
in children causing an abnormal increase in the
length of long bones
• Acromegaly: excessive secretion of growth
hormone in adults causing the overgrowth of bones
in the face, hands and feet
Diagnostic Procedures
• Fasting blood glucose: measures blood glucose
after the patient fasts for 8 hours
• Glucose tolerance test: the patient fasts for 8-12
hours then ingests glucose and blood samples are
taken to measure the metabolic rate of glucose
• Radioactive iodine uptake test: determines thyroid
function by monitoring the ability of the thyroid to
metabolize iodine
Diagnostic Procedures
• Thyroid function test: a blood test that measures
thyroid hormone levels
• Total calcium: a blood test that measures calcium
to detect parathyroid and bone disorders
Medical and Surgical Procedures
• Lobectomy: removal of one lobe of the thyroid
gland in treatment of endocrine diseases
• Thymectomy: excision of the thymus gland
• Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy: endoscopic
surgery that removes pituitary tumors through the
nasal cavity via the sinus without affecting the brain
Pharmacology
• Insulins: replace insulin in patients with diabetes
• Oral antidiabetics: treat type 2 diabetes by
stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin or they
lower blood glucose levels
Abbreviations
• ADH: antidiuretic hormone
• BS: blood sugar
• DM: diabetes mellitus
• FBG: fasting blood glucose
• FBS: fasting blood sugar
• GH: growth hormone
Abbreviations
• GTT: glucose tolerance test
• HRT: hormone replacement therapy
• IV: intravenously
• RAIU: radioactive iodine uptake
• TFT: thyroid function test
• TSH: thyroid-stimulating hormone