Anatomy and Physiology  Thymus gland

 Adrenal gland
ENDOCRINE ORGANS
 Pancreas
- Slow-acting control system that  Gonads
produces hormone
- Second controlling system of the - Some glands have purely endocrine
body functions (anterior pituitary, thyroid,
- Endocrinology is the scientific study adrenal, parathyroid)
of hormones and endocrine organs - Endocrine are ductless glands and
usually rely on diffusion
Hormones
- Hormones are released directly into
- Chemical substances secreted by the blood or lymph
endocrine cells into the extracellular - Other glands are mixed glands with
fluid that regulate the metabolic both endocrine and exocrine
activity of other cells (pancreas and gonads)
- Major processes:
PITUITARY GLAND (HYPOPHYSIS)
 Reproduction
 Growth and Development - Pea-sized gland that hangs by a stalk
 Mobilizing body defences (infudibulum) from the
 Maintenance of homeostasis hypothalamus in the brain
 Regulation of metabolism - Protected by the sella turcica of the
sphenoid bone
MAJOR ENDOCRINE ORGANS
- Two functional lobes:
 Hypothalamus  Anterior pituitary – glandular
 Growth hormones tissue
 Antidiuretic hormones  Posterior pituitary – nervous
 Oxytocin tissue
 Growth hormone releasing - Often called as the “Master
hormone Endocrine Gland”
 Growth hormone inhibiting
hormone  Posterior Pituitary
 Gonadotropic releasing hormone (Neurohypophysis)
 Cortisol releasing hormone - Does not make the hormone it
 Pituitary gland releases
 Pineal gland - Store hormones made by the
hypothalamus
 Thyroid gland
- Two hormones it releases:
 Parathyroid gland
 Oxytocin
  Antidiuretic Hormone - General metabolic hormone
(Vasopressin) - Major effects are directed to growth
 Oxytocin of skeletal muscles and long bones
- Stimulates contractions of the uterus - Plays a role in determining final
during labor (stretching the cervix), body size
sexual relation (intimacy), and
- Causes amino acids to be built into
breastfeeding
proteins
- Causes milk ejection (let-down
- Causes fats to be broken down for a
reflex) in a breastfeeding woman
source of energy
- Myometrium – smooth muscle of the
- Two hormones:
uterus
 Growth hormone releasing
 Antidiuretic Hormone (Vasopressin)
hormone – hypoglycaemic
- Inhibits urine production (diuresis) (decreases production of growth
by promoting water reabsorption by hormone)
the kidneys  Growth hormone inhibiting
- Urine volume decreases, blood hormone – hyperglycaemic
pressure increases (increases the production of
- In large amounts, causes contrictions growth hormone)
(vasoconstriction) of arterioles  Prolactin
leading to increased blood pressure - Stimulates and maintains milk
- Alcohol inhibits ADH secretion production following childbirth
- Functions in male is unkown
 Anterior Pituitary  Gonadotropic Hormone
(Adenohypophysis)  Regulate hormonal activity of the
- Six anterior pituitary hormone: gonads
 Two hormones affects non-  Follicle-stimulating Hormone
endocrine targets: - Stimulates follicle
- Growth hormone development in ovaries
- Prolactin - Stimulates sperm
 Four are tropic hormones (made development in testes
of protein, acts through second-  Luteinizing Hormone
messenger system, hormonal (Interstitial Cell Stimulating
stimuli) hormone)
- Follicle-stimulating hormone - Triggers ovulation of an egg
- Luteinizing hormone in females
- Thyrotropic hormone - Stimulates testosterone
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone production in males

 Growth Hormone (Somatotropin)

  Thyrotropic Hormone
(Thyroid-stimulating
Hormone)
- Influence growth and activity
of the thyroid gland
 Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
- Regulates endocrine activity
of the adrenal cortex
PINEAL GLAND
- Small, cone-shaped gland that hangs
from the roof of the third ventricle of
the brain
 Circardian rhythm – other term for
sleeping pattern
 Melatonin – trigger sleep-wake cycle
pattern, fertility/menstrual cycle
THYROID GLAND
- Found at the base of the throat,
anterior to the adam’s apple, side of
the trachea
- Consist of two lobes and a
connecting isthmus
- Follicles are hollow structures that
store colloidal material
- Produces two hormones:
 Thyroid hormone
 Calcitonin
 Iodine – necessary to produce thryroid
hormone
 Thyroid hormone
- Major metabolic hormone
- Controls rat of oxidation of
glucose to supply body heat and
chemical energy
- Needed for tissue growth and
development
- 2 active iodine-containing
hormone
 Thyroxine or T4 – major
hormone secreted by
thyroid follicles
 Triiodothyronin or T3 –
formed at target tissue by
conversion of thyroxine
to triiodothyronine
 Numbers are referring to the number
of iodine atoms
 Calcitonin
- Decrease blood calcium by
causing calcium deposition
on bone
- Antagonistic to parathyroid
hormone
- Produced by parafollicular
cells (C cells) found between
follicles
- Between the follicles:
- Helps in maintaining normal
level of calcium and
phosphate in the blood and
maintaining strong bone
matrix
 Deformation of bone
 Maintaining the bone
to be strong and stable
PARATHYROID GLAND
- Tiny masses of glandular tissue often
found in the posterior of the thyroid
- Secretes parathyroid hormone
 Parathyroid hormone
- Stimulate osteoclasts to
remove calcium from bone
 - Most important regulator of  Sex hormones are
calcium ion (Ca2+) secreted by innermost
homeostasis of blood layer
- Stimulates the kidneys and  Adrenal medulla – inner
intestines to absorb more neural tissue region
calcium  Hormones of Adrenal Cortex
- Target oragans: Bones, Small  Mineralocorticoids (mainly
intestines, kidneys aldosterone)
- Produced in outer
THYMUS GLAND
adrenal cortex
- Located in the upper thorax, - Regulate mineral
posterior to the sternum (salt) content in
- Largest in infants and children blood, particularly
sodium and potassium
- Decrease in size throughout
ions
adulthood
- Regulate water and
- Produces the hormone thymosin
electrolyte balance
- ADULTHOOD – replaced by fats
- Target organs is the
 Thymosin
kidney
- Matures some type of WBC  Rennin – enzyme produced by the
(T lymphocytes) kidney when blood pressure drops
- Important in developing the  Angiotensin II – potent stimulator of
immune system aldosterone
 Atrial Natriuretic Peptide – hormone
ADRENAL GLAND (SUPRANERAL
released by the heart prevent
GLAND)
aldosterone production; reduces
- Curve over the top of the kidneys blood volume and blood pressure
- 2 regions:  Glucocorticoids (cortisol)
 Adrenal cortex – outer - Produced by middle
glandular tissue region that layer of adrenal
has3 layers that produce cortex
corticoids - Promote normal cell
 Mineralocorticoids metabolism
are secreted by - Help assist long-term
outermost layer stressors by
 Glucocorticoid are increasing blood
secreted by middle glucose levels
layer (hyperglycaemic)
 - Anit-inflammatory - Plays essential role in
properties converting foods into fuels to
- Released in response the body
to increase blood - Exocrine : digestion ;
levels of ACTH endocrine : regulate blood
- Glucose-sparing glucose level
effect  Pancreatic islets (islets of
 Sex hormones Langerhans)
- Produced by inner - Little masses of endocrine
layer of adrenal tissue (hormone producing)
cortex scattered among exocrine
- Hormones produce tissue (enzyme producing) of
estrogen (female) and the pancreas
androgens (male)  Two hormones produced by islet
 Hormones of Adrenal Medulla cells
- Produces 2 similar hormones  Insulin
o Hypoglycaemic
 Epinephrine (adrenaline) –
o Produced by beta
vasodilation
cells
 Norepinephrine
o Released when blood
(noradrenaline) –
glucose level is high
vasoconstriction
o Lowers the blood
- Prepare the body to deal with
glucose level
short-term stressors (fight or
 Glucagon
flight by:
o Hyperglycemic
 Increasing heart rate,
blood pressure, blood
o Produced by alpha
glucose levels cells
 Dilating small o Released when blood
passageways of lungs glucose is low
o Increases the blood
PANCREATIC ISLETS glucose level
 Pancreas GONADS
- Located close to the stomach
in the abdominal cavity - Produce sex cells and sex
hormones
- Mixed gland with both
 Ovaries
exocrine and endocrine
function - Female gonads located in the
pelvic cavity
 - Produce female sex cells - Increase muscle and
(ova/egg) bone mass
- Two groups of steroid  Testosterone
hormone: - Increase growth of
 Estrogen body hair, shoulder
- Importantin growth and lowering of voice
and maturation of the and growth of penis
reproductive organ (stimulate the male
(uterus), growth and sex drive)
maturation of breast,
responsible for
menstrual cycle,
widening of the
pelvis, growth or
body weight
 Pregosterone
- Hormone that
prepares the uterus for
conception
- Regulate menstrual
cycle
- Increases sexual
desire
- Responsible for
ovulation
- Milk production
 Testes
- Produces sperm cells
- Male organ are suspended in
a sac, the scrotum, outside
the pelvic cavity
 The pelvic cavity
- Development of male
sex organs
- Produce male sex
hormones
- Produce androgens
such as testosterone