BY: T I E R RA S A N F O R D & KAY L A M C C RAY

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

WHAT IS THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM?

• A system of glands that release vital hormones into the bloodstream• A hormone is a specific messenger made

and secreted by an endocrine gland.

• Helps regulate the body’s growth, metabolism, function, and sexual development

HORMONES

THE MAJOR ORGANS

• Hypothalamus• Pituitary• Thyroid• Parathyroid• Adrenal glands• Pancreas• Gonads• Thymus• Pineal Body

HYPOTHALAMUS

• Location: the brain• Target: sends

hormones to the interior pituitary• Function: regulates

secretion of the pituitary gland, heartbeat, temperature, and water balance

PITUITARY GLANDS

• Location: the brain, connected to the hypothalamus

• Target: sends hormones to the liver, kidney, gonads, and the thyroid and adrenal glands

• Function: it controls hormone functions such as our temperature, thyroid activity, growth during childhood, urine production,• functions as our thermostat

that controls all other glands that are responsible for hormone secretion

THYROID

• Location: the throat area• Target: sends

hormones to all tissues• Function: increases

metabolism, helps control health and development, and helps lower blood calcium levels

PARATHYROID GLANDS

• Location: on the posterior surface of the thyroid• Target: sends

hormones to the bones, kidneys, and intestines• Function: Raises

blood calcium level

ADRENAL GLANDS

• Location: on top of the kidney

• Target:• Adrenal cortex: all tissues • Adrenal medulla: cardiac and

other muscles

• Function: Secrete hormones that regulate chemical balance and metabolism

• Has two portions, the cortex and the medulla that produce:• Estrogen• Progesterone• Adrenaline• Norepinephrine

PANCREAS

• Location: across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach

• Target: small intestines

• Function: The pancreas has 2 parts.• the exocrine pancreas,

which secretes digestive enzymes

• the endocrine pancreas that secretes hormones called insulin and glucagon. • These hormones regulate the

level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

GONADS

• Location: testicles in the men and ovaries in the women

• Target:• Function:

• The Gonads consist of the testes and the ovaries.

• The testes produce androgens. (e.g., testosterone)

• The ovaries produce estrogens. (e.g., progesterone)

THYMUS

• Location:• Target:• Function:

PINEAL BODY

• Location:• Target:• Function:

DISEASES

• When glands produce more or less hormones needed by the body, diseases may occur.• These diseases include:• Adrenal deficiency• Types one and two diabetes• Precocious puberty• Hyperthyroidism

ADRENAL DEFICIENCY

• Adrenal deficiency can be primary or secondary.

• Primary adrenal insufficiency, Addison's disease, occurs when the adrenal glands are damaged and cannot produce enough of the hormone cortisol and often the hormone aldosterone.

• Secondary adrenal deficiency occurs when the pituitary gland fails to produce enough adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Secondary adrenal insufficiency is much more common than Addison's disease.

DIABETES

PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY

• Abnormal early puberty occurring when glands tell the body to release sex hormones too soon in life.

HYPERTHYROIDISM

• Hyperthyroidism is a disorder that occurs when the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormone than the body needs.

CITATION PAGE

• http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/endocrin.htm• http://www.hormone.org/

endocrine_system_diseases.cfm• http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/• http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/

endocrine/hypopit/overview.html