Our first topic this third grading was endocrine system. I don’t know so much about endocrine system but I’ve heard of it as the body’s other control center. So, here’s a short summary of what I have learned. Hope you’ll enjoy it .
Endocrine system is a series of organs and glands in your body. It secretes chemical messengers called hormone into your bloodstream.
Hormones are chemical messengers released by endocrine glands, it is also released into the bloodstream and travel all over your body, it can affect million of cells simultaneously, and their effects last for minutes or even hours or days.
Neurotransmitters are released by neurons at chemical synapses, it diffuses across the synapse to a cell on the other side and bind to that cell, it cleaned up quickly and its effects are localized and short lived.
There are different endocrine organ functions namely, hypothalamus, pineal, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, and ovaries and testes.
The hypothalamus is located in the lower central part of the brain. This part of the brain is important in regulation of satiety, metabolism, and body temperature. In addition, it secretes hormones that stimulate or suppress the release of hormones in the pituitary gland.
The pineal body, or pineal gland, is located in the middle of the brain. It secretes a hormone called melatonin, which may help regulate the wake-sleep cycle of the body.
The pituitary gland is divided into two parts: the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The anterior lobe produces the following hormones, which are regulated by the hypothalamus: Growth hormone which stimulates growth of bone and tissue (growth hormone deficiency in children results in growth failure. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) which stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones.
Adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) which stimulates the adrenal gland to produce several related steroid hormones. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are hormones that control sexual function and production of the sex steroids, estrogen and progesterone in females or testosterone in males. Prolactin is a hormone that stimulates milk production in females. The posterior lobe produces the following: Antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin) controls water loss by the kidneys and Oxytocin which contracts the uterus during childbirth and stimulates milk production.
The thyroid gland is located in the lower front part of the neck. Thyroid gland secretes hormones thyroxine and triiodothyroxine which controls cell metabolism and growth and also calcitonin which decreases blood calcium.
The parathyroid glands are two pairs of small glands fixed in the surface of the thyroid gland, one pair on each side. They release parathyroid hormone, which regulates and increase calcium levels in the blood and bone metabolism.
The endocrine pancreas secretes hormones called insulin and glucagon. These hormones regulate the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin lowers blood sugar while glucagon raises blood sugar.
The adrenal glands are a pair of small glands that sit on top of your kidney. The adrenal glands are made up of two parts. The outer part is called the adrenal cortex, and the inner part is called the adrenal medulla. The inner part releases two hormones called epinephrine and norepinephrine which increase the duration of the effects of your sympathetic nervous system. On the other hand, the outer part makes dozens of steroid hormone known as adrenocorticosteroids.
The reproductive glands in males, the testes, located in the scrotum, secrete hormones called androgens; the most important of which is testosterone. These hormones affect many male characteristics as well as sperm production. In females, the ovaries, located on both sides of the uterus, produce estrogen and progesterone as well as eggs. These hormones control the development of female characteristics and they are also involved in reproductive functions.
This chapter was kind of unclear because it was discussed by the reporter before our vacation that’s why some of it I don’t remember already. The words are hard to remember because of its spelling too. I got low grade in the check up quiz that’s why I feel bad. Anyway, our professor did made the chapter clear so in the end it was still ok.
