Name: Mac Leo Luis A.

Fernando
BSN - 2B
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
The endocrine system, in conjunction with the nervous system, works
to maintain internal homeostasis and to integrate the body’s response to the
external environment. Their activities and functions are so closely related that
it is probably more correct to refer to them as the neuroendocrine system.
However, this section deals with drugs affecting the “traditional” endocrine
system, which includes glands—organized groups of specialized cells that
produce and secrete hormones, or chemical messengers, directly into the
bloodstream to communicate within the body. Some organs function like
endocrine glands, but they are not considered part of the traditional endocrine
system. In addition, certain hormones that infl uence body functioning are not
secreted by endocrine glands. For example, prostaglandins are tissue
hormones produced in various tissues; they do not enter the bloodstream, but
exert their effects right in the area where they are released. Moreover,
neurotransmitters, such as norepi, nephrine and dopamine, can be classifi ed
as hormones because they are secreted directly into the bloodstream for
dispersion throughout the body. There also are many gastrointestinal (GI)
hormones that are produced in GI cells and act locally. All of these hormones
are addressed in the chapters most related to their effects.*