M3 Endocrine System. Updated

By Erin Thompson
 Series of ductless glands located

throughout the body that secrete
chemicals that control or regulate
body functions.
 Once a hormone is secreted, it
travels from the endocrine gland
that produced it through the
bloodstream to the cells
designed to receive its message.
These cells are called target cells.
 Along the way to the target cells,
special proteins bind to some of
the hormones. These proteins act
as carriers that control the
amount of hormone that is
available for the cells to use.
 The target cells have receptors that
latch onto only specific hormones,
and each hormone has its own
receptor, so that each hormone will
communicate only with specific
target cells that have receptors for
that hormone.
 When the hormone reaches its target
cell, it locks onto the cell's specific
receptors and these hormone-
receptor combinations transmit
chemical instructions to the inner
workings of the cell.
 When hormone levels reach a certain
normal amount, the endocrine
system helps the body to keep that
level of hormone in the blood.
 For example, if the thyroid gland has
secreted the right amount of thyroid
hormones into the blood, the
pituitary gland senses the normal
levels of thyroid hormone in the
bloodstream. Then the pituitary
gland adjusts its release of
thyrotropin, the hormone that
stimulates the thyroid gland to
produce thyroid hormones.
1. Hormones
2. Glands
 Hormones are formed from
substances taken from the blood.
They circulate throughout the
body and exert specific effects on
other glands, tissues, or organs
located some distance, away
from the cells that secrete them.
 Because of this, the hormones
are able to regulate the body
processes, such as growth,
development, metabolism, and
response to critical situations.
 Remember how the ambulance
driver needed hormones to speed up
and drive effectively during an
emergency. Adrenaline, the
“emergency hormone,” worked at
that time but not when the
ambulance driver was at rest. Your
body needs a certain hormones at
one time, but not at other times.
 A group of cells that produces and
secretes, or gives off, chemicals. A
gland selects and removes materials
from the blood, processes them, and
secretes the finished chemical
product for use somewhere in the
body.
1. Pituitary Gland
2. Thyroid gland
3. Parathyroid Glands
4. Thymus Gland
5. Adrenal Glands
6. Pancreas
7. Gonads
 Has been called as the master gland
because it produces the largest
number of different hormones.
 Situated just below the
hypothalamus
 It also controls and activates the
secretion of several other endocrine
glands.
 Two independently functioning parts of
the pituitary gland are :
 Posterior pituitary- oxytocin (constraction of
the uterus during birth), vasopressin (
regulates amount of water in the body cells,
indirectly controls blood pressure)
 Anterior pituitary- hormones related to body
growth
 Too little secretion- Dwarfism
 Too much secretion- Gigantisms ( Giantism)
 These are just located above the
kidneys.
 They are extremely important in
neural functioning and the ability of
the body to cope with stress
 Hormones secreted by the adrenal
glands:
 Epinephrine- causes nervousness,
perspiration, constrictions of the blood
vessels in the stomach and intestines, and
make the heart beat faster.
 Norepinephrine ( Adrenalin)- stimulates the
release of hormones called steroids, which
cause the liver to release stored sugar so the
body has energy for quick action.
 It is located in the neck in front of the
windpipe and weigh less than an ounce.
 One important element in the hormone
produced by this gland is iodine.
 Underactivity of the thyroid gland
results in HYPOTHYROIDISM, which is
characterized by laziness and dullness on
part of the organism. When this occurs in
infancy, the condition is know as
CRETINISM.
 Hypothyroidism is often
accompanied by goiter in the neck.
Goiter is a swelling of the thyroid
gland brought about by the glands’
overworking ; hence, the inability to
secrete enough hormones.
 These are two pairs of small pea-
shaped glands close to the thyroid
glands.
 PARATHORMONE-regulates the
utilization of calcium and
phosphorus in the body.
 TETANY-undersecretion of hormone
results in condition which is
characterized by intermittent,
involuntary muscle twitching and
spasms.
 If too much parathormone is present, the
nervous system becomes disensitized
and poor physical coordination results.
 The gonads are the sex or puberty
glands which produce the sperm
and egg cells for reproduction. They
secrete hormones called androgens
and estrogens.
 They are responsible for the
development of the secondary sex
characteristics of the biologically
mature man and woman.
 In human, scientists have discovered
that there is a large increase in the
secretion of the hormone
testosterone at boys at about 13
years of age.
 This increase occurs at about the
same time as the urge to date girls
and the first feelings of infatuations.
 The pancreas, located near the stomach,
secretes two hormones which control the level
of blood sugar or glucose in the bloodstream.
 Glucagon- releases glucose into the
bloodstream from the glycogen stored in the
liver.
 Insulin- enables glucose to move out of the
blood into the cells of muscles and other
tissues.
 If too much or too little of either
hormone is present, the person
may suffer from hypoglycemia(
low blood sugar) or diabetes
mellitus ( high blood sugar) also
called hyperglycemia.

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By Erin Thompson

 Series of ductless glands located

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