Endocrine System

- Releases chemicals called hormones that regulate complex body processes.

- Regulates complex processes such as growth and development, metabolism and
reproduction.
- Acts more slowly by using chemical messenger called hormones, which released into the
blood to be transported throughout the body.
Endocrinology
- scientific study of hormones and endocrine organs.
Hormones
- can be classified chemically as either animo-based molecules (proteins, peptides and
amines) or steroids (made from cholesterol)
- comes from a Greek word meaning “to arouse”.
Prostaglandins- hormones that act locally
- made from highly active lipids released from nearly all cell membranes.
Negative feedback
- are the chief means of regulating blood levels of nearly all hormones.
Hormonal Stimuli
- most common stimuli in which endocrine organs are prodded into action by other
hormones.
Humoral Stimuli
- distinguish from hormonal stimuli which are also bloodborne chemicals.
- Humoral – humor

Major Endocrine Organs

- Pituitary - Thymus
- Pineal - Adrenal glands
- Thyroid - Pancreas
- Parathyroid - Gonads (ovary and testes)
Endocrine glands- ductless glands
Exocrine glands- release their products at the body’s surface or into body cavities through
ducts.
Pituitary gland- is approximately the size of a pea.
- Has 2 functional lobes – the anterior pituitary (glandular tissue) and posterior pituitary
(nervous tissue)
Anterior pituitary
- Master endocrine gland
- Its removal has dramatic effect
- The release of its hormones is controlled by releasing hormones and inhibiting
hormones.
Posterior pituitary
- Is not an endocrine gland, does not make the peptide hormones it releases
Oxytocin
- Released in significant amounts only during childbirth and nursing.
- Causes milk ejection
 - Natural and synthetic oxytocic drugs (Pitocin and other) are used to induce labor or to
hasten labor.
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)- second hormone released by posterior pituitary
- Causes the kidneys to reabsorb more water from the forming urine
Diuresis- is urine production
Antidiuretic- chemical that inhibits or prevents urine production
Water- powerful inhibitor in ADH release
Vasopressin- constriction of the arterioles (small arteries)
Diabetes insipidus- hyposecretion of ADH that leads to a condition of excessive urine output 
Tropic hormone- includes follicle hormone-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone,
thyrotropic hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone
Growth hormone- is a general metabolic hormone
Acromegaly- occurs after long bone growth has ended
Prolactin- is a protein hormone structurally similar to growth hormone
- Its only known in humans is the breast
Gonadotropic hormone- regulate the hormonal activity if the gonads
Follicle-stimulating hormone- stimulates follicle development in the ovaries
Luteinizing hormone- triggers ovulation of an egg from the ovary
Sterility- lack of ability to successfully reproduce in both male and female
Thyrotropic hormone- influences the growth and activity of the thyroid gland
Adrenocorticotropic hormone- regulates the endocrine activity of the cortex portion of the
adrenal gland.