question archive Stand alone question involving the endocrine system: Provide an explanation that would defend the need for less ACTH secreted into the plasma and a larger quantity of Cortisol present in the plasma
Stand alone question involving the endocrine system: Provide an explanation that would defend the need for less ACTH secreted into the plasma and a larger quantity of Cortisol present in the plasma
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Stand alone question involving the endocrine system:
Provide an explanation that would defend the need for less ACTH secreted into the plasma and a larger quantity of Cortisol present in the plasma. (hint: consider targets & half life)
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The half-life of ACTH is 22 minutes whereas half-life of cortisol is 66 minutes. The secretion of ACTH is controlled by three regions in the body - the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands. This is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) levels in the blood are low, a group of cells in the hypothalamus release a hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) which stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete ACTH into the bloodstream. High levels of ACTH are detected by the adrenal gland receptors which stimulate the secretion of cortisol, causing blood levels of cortisol to rise. As the cortisol levels rise, they start to slow down the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus and ACTH from the pituitary gland. As a result, the ACTH levels start to fall. This is called a negative feedback loop.
Stress also stimulates ACTH production and hence increases cortisol levels.
