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Endocrine glands are ductless glands that are responsible for secreting their products into the bloodstream and allowing hormones to travel to cells in other parts of the body. Endocrine hormones help regulate mood, growth and development, the function of our organs, metabolism, and reproduction. Several vital glands are part of the endocrine glands.
Definition:
The glands form the endocrine system. It produces and releases chemical substances – hormones that are produced in the body. Hormones are responsible for regulating organs or cells in the body. Also, hormones control your body’s growth, sexual function and development, and metabolism. When released into your bloodstream, hormones can affect one or more parts of your body.
Therefore, the endocrine system is involved in almost every organ and cell of your body. If the endocrine system is bad, you may develop other problems during adolescence or find it difficult to manage stress. Also, a dysfunctional endocrine system can lead to weight gain, loss of energy, or weakened bones as more sugar stays in the bloodstream than it enters cells needed for energy.
Hormones created by your body act as chemical messengers. He can easily switch from one set of cells to another to connect different parts of the body.
The main glands of the endocrine system are:
- Pituitary
- Thyroid gland
- Hypothalamus
- Adrenal
- Pine
- Reproductive organs
In addition to the large endocrine glands, which have specific hormonal functions are:
- Stomach
- Thymus
- Heart
- Small intestines
- The placenta
The body’s endocrine system performs the following functions:
- It controls how hormones are released into the body
- It makes hormones, which control your emotions, metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, and organs.
- It sends hormones into the bloodstream to ensure that they can travel to different parts of the body.
The endocrine system is controlled by feedback, just as a thermostat controls room temperature. Pituitary gland-regulated hormones receive signals from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland as they release hormones that open the pituitary gland to release circulating hormones for circulation. After that, the hormone will signal the target hunger to release the hormone.
When hormone levels rise in the bloodstream, the pituitary and hypothalamus block the release of hormones. Therefore, it reduces the release of the target gland. It helps with a stable blood concentration of hormones, which are regulated by the pituitary gland.
Types of Endocrine Glands: Pituitary, Thyroid, Adrenal
Several glands form the endocrine system. At this point, we will take a closer look at them.
Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is present in the lower part of the brain. It is very important for controlling body temperature, satiety and metabolism. In the hypothalamus, secreting hormones indicate the production of stimulating hormones. Also, secretory gland hormones are known as somatostatin. It prevents the pituitary gland from releasing growth hormones.
Thyroid Gland
You will experience a thyroid gland in the lower front of your neck. It is responsible for the production of thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s metabolism. The thyroid gland plays a vital role in the growth of the brain and bones. It also regulates children’s nervous systems. The pituitary gland regulates the production of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones help maintain blood pressure, digestion, heart rate, reproductive functions, and muscle tone.
Pituitary Gland
It is located just below your brain, just below the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland is as small as a pea. It is often considered to be the most important part of the endocrine system as it produces hormones that perform various functions of other endocrine glands. In the event that the pituitary gland does not produce one or more hormones or sufficient hormones, it is known as hypopituitarism.
The pituitary gland has two parts: the anterior and posterior lobes. Now, the frontal lobe produces certain hormones, which are given below.
Growth Hormone: Promotes muscle and bone growth. If you suffer from a lack of growth hormone, it will lead to growth failure. In addition, a deficiency of growth hormone in an adult can solve problems in maintaining adequate muscle mass, fat, and bone mass. It also has to do with your emotional health.
Adrenocorticotropin: Stimulates the adrenal glands to produce various steroid hormones.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone: Stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Low thyroid hormones may be due to thyroid dysfunction or thyroid. Thyroid hormone deficiency is called hypothyroidism.
Prolactin: Hormone, which stimulates milk production in women.
Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone: The hormone regulates sexual function and the production of sex steroids, testosterone for men, and progesterone and estrogen for women.
The posterior lobe can produce the following hormones that can be controlled by the hypothalamus-
Oxytocin: It is responsible for uterine contractions during childbirth and can promote milk production.
Antidiuretic Hormone: Regulates water loss by the kidneys.
Hormone production by the posterior pituitary gland is produced in the brain and transmitted to the pituitary gland through nerves. These are stored in the pituitary gland.
Parathyroid Gland
These are two pairs of small glands, embedded in the thyroid area. You will find one pair on each side. The glands are responsible for releasing the parathyroid hormone which is responsible for regulating the level of calcium in the body.
Adrenal Glands
The two adrenal glands have a triangular shape and are located at the top of each kidney. These glands have two parts, the adrenal cortex – the outer part, and the adrenal medulla – the inner part. The outer layer can produce a hormone known as corticosteroids which regulate body composition, water and salt balance in the body, sexual function, and the immune system. At the same time, the inner part produces hormones called catecholamines. Hormones can help your body cope with emotional and physical stress by increasing blood pressure and heart rate.
In addition to the large endocrine glands, there are other organs, with certain hormonal functions — the small intestine, the thymus, the heart, the placenta, and the stomach.
- The thymus gland produces thymosin, which plays a key role in improving the immune system.
- The stomach lining produces a hormone known as gastrin. It stimulates the hormone in response to food in the stomach. The hormone stimulates the production of pepsin and hydrochloric acid used indigestion.
- The small intestine produces cholecystokinin and secretin. This causes the pancreas to produce a liquid rich in bicarbonate. Cholecystokinin activates the gallbladder to release bile.
- The placenta is the source of nutrients for the developing baby. Also, it acts as a temporary endocrine gland for the baby.
Also read: Important Topic Of Biology: Neuron
FAQs
Briefly describe the human endocrine glands.
The human endocrine glands are a combination of a complex network of glands responsible for producing several hormones at the right time in the human body that help regulate the function of tissues and cells in the body.
What are the exocrine glands?
Exocrine glands can be defined as hunger that produces tears, saliva, sweat, milk, and digestive juices.
What do the adrenal glands do?
The adrenal glands produce hormones that promote fight or flight reactions. The adrenal glands are no bigger than walnut, they have more than 150 hormones that regulate overall body function.
