Endocrine Glands

“The Producers of Chemical Messengers”

Multicellular organisms communicate with and control their various activities by means of two major
systems—the nervous system and the endocrine system.

Hormonal Control Nervous Control

 Affects bodily activities by releasing  Controls and maintains the internal
chemical messengers called hormones environment of the body by sending
into the blood stream. impulses to neurons.
 Action is slow.  Action is immediate.
 Effects can be short-term or long lasting.  Effects are brief.
 Can affect growth.  Does not affect growth.
 Brings about specific chemical changes,  Does not influence chemical changes and
thus regulating metabolism. hence cannot regulate metabolism.

Hormones

A hormone is a secretion from some glandular part of the body, which is poured into the blood and which
acts on the target organs or cells of the same individual.

Most hormones are secreted by special glands called endocrine glands.

General Properties of Hormones

1. Hormones are secreted by the endocrine glands directly into the blood.
2. Produced in very small quantities.
3. Biologically very active.
4. Act on target organs or cells usually away from the source.
Endocrine System

The endocrine system is made of endocrine glands and tissues.

Adrenal
Glands

Gonads Pancreas

Endocrine Glands
Thyroid
Thymus
Gland

Parathyroid Pituitary
Gland Gland

Adrenal Glands
The human body has two adrenal glands located on top of the kidneys; hence, they are also known as
suprarenal glands.

Adrenal Gland
 Adrenal Cortex Adrenal Medulla

Adrenaline
Mineralocorticoids
(prepares the body
(Regulate mineral
for the fight and
metabolism)
flight mechanism)

Glucocorticoids
(Regulate
carbohydrate,
protein and fat
metabolism)

Response to Adrenaline
Body Part Effects of Adrenaline Biological Advantage Effect or Sensation
Heart Beats faster and blood Sends more glucose and Thumping heart
pressure increases oxygen to the muscles
Muscles of body Tenses muscles Ready for immediate action Tense feeling,
shivering
Liver Conversion of Glucose available in blood No sensation
glycogen to glucose for energy production
Adrenaline also causes dilation of the pupil of the eyes, stimulates uterine contraction during child
delivery and increases the clotting capacity of blood.

Abnormal Secretions of Adrenal Glands

Hyposecretion of the adrenal cortex causes Addison’s Disease.
Hypersecretion of the adrenal cortex causes Cushing Syndrome.

Pancreas

Pancreas
The pancreas is exocrine as well as an endocrine gland.
The exocrine part pours its secretion—pancreatic juice—into the duodenum through the pancreatic duct.
The endocrine part is made up of a special group of cells known as islets of Langerhans.

Three kinds of cells found in the islets of Langerhans and their secretions are

Alpha Cells Beta Cells Delta Cells

 Secrete glucagon  Secrete insulin  Secrete somatostatin
 Glucagon stimulates the  Insulin maintains the rise  Somatostatin controls the
breakdown of glycogen of the blood sugar level secretion of glucagon and
into glucose in the liver insulin

Abnormal Secretions of Insulin

Insufficient Secretion of Insulin  Causes diabetes mellitus

 Symptoms:
 High concentration of sugar in blood
(hyperglycemia).
 Excretes a large amount of urine
containing more concentration of sugar.
 Treatment: It cannot be cured, but sugar
levels can be maintained by the
administration of insulin.
Oversecretion of Insulin  The sugar level in the blood is lowered,
i.e. hypoglycemia.
 If the level becomes too low, then the
brain may enter a state of coma for a few
minutes.
A patient may become unconscious due to
an overdose of insulin. This is called insulin
shock.

Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is a bilobed, butterfly-shaped gland.
The two lobes are joined by a narrow mass of tissues called isthmus.

Thyroid Gland - Front View and Back View

 Secretion of Thyroid
Gland

Thyroxine
(Regulates basal
metabolsim)

Calcitonin
(Regulates calcium
and phosphate
levels in the blood)

Disorders of
the Thyroid
Gland

Hypothyroidism Hyperthyroidism

Simple Goitre Myxoedema Exophthalmic

Cretinism Goitre
(Enlargement (Dwarfism, (Swelling on
of the thyroid the face and (Enlargement
mental of the glands,
gland) retardation) hands)
eyes protrude)

Pituitary Gland
It is a small gland about the size of a pea.
The pituitary controls the secretions of all the other endocrine glands; therefore, it is also called the
master gland.

The pituitary gland is divided into three lobes. The secretions from these lobes are as follows:
 Pituitary
Glands

Anterior Intermediate Posterior

Pituitary Lobe Pituitary

Growth Anti-diuretic
Hormone Hormone

Thyroid
Stimulating Oxytocin
Hormone

FSH/LH

ACTH

Anterior Pituitary
 Growth Hormone:
o Essential for normal growth.
o Deficiency of growth hormone causes dwarfism.
o Oversecretion causes gigantism and acromegaly.
 Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH):
o Controls the activities of the thyroid gland.
 Gonadotropins (FSH/LH):
o Regulate the activities of testes and ovaries.
 Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH):
o Regulates the activity of the adrenal cortex.

Intermediate Lobe of the Pituitary Gland: Regulates the activity of the adrenal cortex.

Posterior Pituitary
 Anti-diuretic Hormone (Vasopressin):
o Regulates the amount of water excreted in the urine.
o Deficiency of ADH causes diabetes insipidus.
 Oxytocin:
o Stimulates contraction of uterine muscles during childbirth.
Feedback Mechanism
Negative Feedback Mechanism
 The body has mechanisms to maintain a normal state.
 Whenever there is a change in the normal state, the messages are sent to ‘increase’ secretions if there
is a fall below normal or to ‘decrease’ secretions if there is a rise above normal to restore the normal
body state. Such a mechanism is called a Negative Feedback Mechanism.

Gonads
1. Testes

 Found in males.
 Lie in scrotum.
 Interstitial cells of testes secrete testosterone.
 Testosterone is responsible for the maturation of sperms.
 Stimulates the growth and development of the male reproductive system.
2. Ovaries

 They are the female gonads.

 Found in females.
 They secrete oestrogen, progesterone and relaxin.
 Oestrogen is responsible for the development of ovarian follicles.
 Progesterone is responsible for the development of corpus luteum and placenta.
 Relaxin dilates the cervix towards the end of pregnancy.

Parathyroid Glands

Parathyroid Glands

 Two pairs of parathyroid glands are located on the posterior surface of the thyroid gland.
 These glands secrete parathormone (PTH).
 PTH controls calcium metabolism and maintains blood calcium at a constant level.
 Its hyposecretion causes tetany, while its hypersecretion results in demineralisation of bones.
Thymus Gland

 It is a bilobed gland which is present between the lungs.

 This gland produces different hormones such as thymic protein, thymosin etc.
 Functions:
o Controls the maturation and distribution of lymphocytes.
o Stimulates antibody production.