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Definition:
The endocrine system is a control system of the body, which controls various functions of the human body
through secretions known as hormones, secreted by the endocrine glands.
Endocrine Glands:
Endocrine glands are secretary tissues (glands) which secrete hormones directly into the blood stream. They are
also called ductless glands. The study of endocrine glands is called endocrinology.
Exclusively endocrine: the pituitary,the thyroid,the parathyroid, thymus and the adrenals.
Partially endocrine : The pancreas, gastric and duodenal epithelium, the gonads (testis in males and
ovary in females) and placentain females.
Important Endocrine Glands & Their Functions (secretions)
Following are the important endocrine glands of the human body.
i) Pituitary Gland
ii) Hypothalamus
iii) Thymus
iv) Pineal
v) Thyroid
vi) Parathyroid
vii) Adrenal
viii) Pancreas
ix) Testes
x) Ovaries
I) Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is located immediately below the thalamus at the centre of the brain, and controls many
automatic functions of the body. the hormones produced by hypothalamus are of two types, the releasing
hormones (which stimulate secretion of pituitary hormones) and the inhibiting hormones (which inhibit
secretions of pituitary hormones).
hypothalamic hormone called Gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates the pituitary synthesis
and release of gonadotrophins.
Somatostatin from the hypothalamus inhibits the release of growth hormone from the pituitary
Function:
The general functions of the hypothalamus are of extreme importance for the body, such as:
- Pituitary gland regulation
- Blood pressure regulation
- Hunger and salt cravings
- Feeding reflexes
- Thirst
- Body temperature regulation
II) Pituitary Gland: the master gland
The pituitary gland is a small bean-shaped reddish gray organ, located near the hypothalamus (forebrain). It
produces at least nine hormones which perform following functions:
Functions:
- Responsible for normal skeletal growth, milk secretion in mammary glands.
- Controls normal functioning of thyroid and adrenal glands
- Stimulates the formation of the graffian follicles in the female ovary and development of spermatozoa in male.
- Stimulate the contraction of the uterine muscles during the final stage of pregnancy
- Control the amount of urine secreted by the kidney.
Pituitary gland is divided anatomically into an adenohypophysis and a neurohypophysis.
Adenohypophysis consists of two portions, pars distalis and pars intermedia. The pars distalis region of
pituitary, commonly called anterior pituitary, produces growth hormone(GH), prolactin(PRL), thyroid
stimulating hormone(TSH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone(ACTH), luteinizing hormone(LH) and follicle
stimulating hormone(FSH). Pars intermedia secretes only one hormone called melanocyte stimulating
hormone(MSH).
Neurohypophysis (pars nervosa) also known as posterior pituitary, stores and releases two hormones called
oxytocin and vasopressin, which are actually synthesised by the hypothalamus and are transported axonally to
neurohypophysis.
Oxytocin acts on the smooth muscles of our body and stimulates their contraction. In females, it stimulates a
vigorous contraction of uterus at the time of child birth, and milk ejection from the mammary gland.
Vasopressin acts mainly at the kidney and stimulates resorption of water and electrolytes by the distal tubules
and thereby reduces loss of water through urine (diuresis). Hence, it is also called as anti-diuretic
hormone(ADH)
Ovaries in females produce two kinds of hormonesestrogen and progesterone. Estrogenis secreted from the
follicles of the ovary and stimulates the development of breasts and fat deposition on the hip in a mature
woman. Estrogen prepares the wall of the uterus for receiving the fertilized egg.
Progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum (follicle left after the release of ovum). It brings about the final
changes in the uterus for the retention and growth of the foetus during pregnancy.
X) Placenta
Placenta of a pregnant woman produces certain hormones. One such hormone is human chorionic gonadotropin
(HCG), which maintains the activity of corpus luteum in secreting progesterone continuously.
XI) Hormones from stomach and intestine
(i) Gastrinis the hormone secreted by the mucus membrane of the pyloric end of the stomach. It stimulates the
gastric glands to secrete gastric juice. Gastrin acts on the gastric glands and stimulates the secretion of
hydrochloric
acid and pepsinogen.
(ii) Secretin is the hormone secreted by the inner lining of the duodenum. It stimulates the production of
pancreatic juice while the hormone. Secretin acts on the exocrine pancreas and stimulates secretion of water and
bicarbonate ions.
(III) cholecystokinin:- CCK acts on both pancreas and gall bladder and stimulates the secretion of
pancreatic enzymes and bile juice, respectively.
XII) heart
The atrial wall of our heart secretes a very important peptide hormone called atrial natriuretic factor(ANF),
which decreases blood pressure. When blood pressure is increased, ANF is secreted which causes dilation of the
blood vessels. This reduces the blood pressure.
XIII) Kidney:- The juxtaglomerular cells of kidney produce a peptide hormone called erythropoietin which
stimulates erythropoiesis (formation of RBC).
Gastric inhibitory peptide:- GIP inhibits gastric secretion and motility.
Non-endocrine tissues Several other non-endocrine tissues secrete hormones called growth factors. These
factors are essential for the normal growth of tissues and their repairing/regeneration.
THE FEEDBACK MECHANISM (CONTROL OF HORMONAL SECRETION)
The amount of hormone released by an endocrine gland is determined by the bodys need for the particular
hormone at any given time. The product of the target tissue exerts an effect on the respective endocrine gland.
This effect may be positive (secrete more) or negative (secrete no more or slow down). This can be explained
by taking the example of thyroid gland.
Feed back mechanism of thyroid activity
Hypothalamus releases a hormone TSH-RH (TSH- Releasing Hormone) which instructs the anterior pituitary
to release TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). The TSH stimulates thyroid to release thyroxine. If the level of
thyroxine in blood increases, the pituitary stops the release of TSH. If the level of thyroxine becomes still higher,
then the inhibition of the release of thyroxine takes place not only at the level of the pituitary but also at the level
of hypophysis to inhibit the release of TSH-RH. When the level of thyroxine falls in the blood, the thyroid gets
stimulated to secrete more of it. What is happening here is that the starting point of an activity receives back the
information whether to continue or increase, or to slow down or even stop.