know your Endocrine system

Written & Compiled by Medindia Content Team | Medically Reviewed by The Medindia Medical Review Team on Feb 03, 2014

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Similar to plants, certain special chemicals called hormones regulate the various activities of our body. Hormones are chemical messengers, which help in controlling and coordinating the activities of the body. They are produced by endocrine glands. The hormone in other words acts as a switch or a trigger for a certain action to take place.

The endocrine glands are under the control of the nervous system.

The endocrine system of human beings consists of the following glands:

1. Hypothalamus And Pituitary Gland
2. The Pineal Gland
3. The Thyroid Gland
4. The Parathyroid Glands
5. The Adrenal Glands
6. Islets Of Langerhans

(Pancreas)
7. Ovaries (Female)
8. Testes (Male)

Sl. No.	Endocrine Glands	Location	Hormone	Action
1	Pituitary (Master Gland)	Base of fore brain, pea shaped	Growth Hormone	Regulates the growth of bone and tissue.
			Anti-diuretic hormone	Controls amount of water reabsorbed by the kidney
			Adreno corticotrophic hormone	Defending the body against physiological stress eg. exposure to cold Follicle stimulating hormone Stimulates ovary to produce female hormone
			Thyroid stimulating hormone	Stimulates thyroid to produce its hormone
2	Thyroid	Neck of lower extremity of larynx, butterfly shaped	Thyroxine	Regulates rate of growth and metabolism. Too little over weight and sluggishness. Too much- thinning and over activity.
3	Adrenal	A Pair of cap shaped organs above each kidney	Cortisone	Aids in conversion of proteins to sugar, cortex of this gland produces the hormone.
4	Pancreas	It’s a double gland	Insulin	Regulates Sugar metabolism. Too little insulin leads to high sugar level in blood and weakness (a condition called diabetes).
5	Ovary	Lie on the lateral walls of the pelvis	Estrogen	Development of Secondary sexual characters. Eg. Development of breasts in female.
6	Testis	In the scrotum	Testosterone	Development of many masculine features such as growth of moustaches and beard.

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References:

Overview of the Endocrine System - (https://www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-system)
Emergence of the concept of endocrine function and endocrinology - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15492974/)
Endocrine disorders and the neurologic manifestations - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4316409/)
Physiology, Stress Reaction - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541120/)
Physiology, Hypothalamus - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535380/)
Physiology, Pituitary Gland - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459247/)
Pituitary gland and hormones - (https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/pituitary-gland#)
Physiology, Exocrine Gland - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542322/)
Histology, Thyroid Gland - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31869123/#)
The role of iodine in human growth and development - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21802524/)
Hypothyroidism in the older population - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6367787/)
Physiology, Adrenal Gland - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537260/)
Physiology of the Pineal Gland and Melatonin - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK550972/)
Melatonin, the Hormone of Darkness: From Sleep Promotion to Ebola Treatment - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4334454/)

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