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Endocrine system
The endocrine system is a control system of ductless endocrine glands that secrete chemical messengers called hormones that circulate within the body via the bloodstream to affect distant organs. It does not include exocrine glands such as salivary glands, sweat glands and glands within the gastrointestinal tract.
The field of medicine that deals with disorders of endocrine glands is endocrinology, a branch of the wider field of internal medicine.
Endocrine system - Physiology
The endocrine system links the brain to the organs that control body metabolism, growth and development, and reproduction.
Signal transduction of some hormones with steroid structure involves nuclear hormone receptor proteins that are a class of ligand activated proteins that, when bound to specific sequences of DNA serve as on-off switches for transcription within the cell nucleus. These switches control the development and differentiation of skin, bone and behavioral centers in the brain, as well as the continual regulation of reproductive tissues.
The endocrine system regulates its hormones through negative feedback. Increases in hormone activity decrease the production of that hormone. The immune system and other factors contribute as control factors also, altogether maintaining constant levels of hormones.
Receptors, Releasing hormones, Nervous system, Endocrine disruptor, Neuroendocrinology
Endocrine system - Table of endocrine glands and the hormones secreted
Endocrine system - In both sexes:
(starting from the head and going downwards)
- hypothalamus
- thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
- gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
- growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)
- corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
- somatostatin
- dopamine
- pituitary gland
- anterior lobe (adenohypophysis)
- GH (human growth hormone)
- PRL (prolactin)
- ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
- TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone)
- FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
- LH (luteinizing hormone)
- posterior lobe (neurohypophysis)
- oxytocin
- ADH (antidiuretic hormone)
- thyroid gland (thyroid hormones is a good writeup)
- thyroxine (T4)
- triiodothyronine (T3)
- calcitonin
- parathyroid glands
- parathyroid hormone (PTH)
- heart
- atrial-natriuretic peptide (ANP)
- stomach and intestines
- gastrin
- secretin
- cholecystokinin (CCK)
- somatostatin
- neuropeptide Y
- liver
- insulin-like growth factor
- angiotensinogen
- thrombopoietin
- islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
- insulin
- glucagon
- somatostatin
- adrenal glands
- adrenal cortex
- glucocorticoids - cortisol
- mineralocorticoids - aldosterone
- androgens (including testosterone)
- adrenal medulla
- adrenaline (epinephrine)
- noradrenaline (norepinephrine)
- kidney
- renin
- erythropoietin (EPO)
- calcitriol
Endocrine system - In males only
Endocrine system - In females only
- placenta (when pregnant)
- progesterone
- human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG)
- human placental lactogen (HPL)
Endocrine system - Role in disease
Diseases of the endocrine system are common, such as diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease.
Endocrineopathies can occur with any of these. Hypofunction can occur as result of loss of reserve, hyposecretion, agenesis, atrophy, destruction, etc. Hyperfunction can occur as result of hypersecretion, loss of suppression, tumor, hyperplasia, etc.
They are classified as primary, secondary, and teriary.
Primary is target organ dysfunction and is normally associated with increased or decreased secretory hormones. Secondary is a dysfunction that originates elsewhere like the pituitary gland and is normally associated with increased or decreased production of trophic factors. Tertiary is associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamus and its releasing hormones.
See also
- Receptors
- Releasing hormones
- Nervous system
- Endocrine disruptor
- Neuroendocrinology
Category: Endocrine system
Other related archivesEPO, Endocrine disruptor, Endocrine system, Nervous system, Neuroendocrinology, Receptors, Releasing hormones, adenohypophysis, adipose tissue, adrenal cortex, adrenal glands, adrenal medulla, adrenaline, adrenocorticotropic hormone, aldosterone, androgens, angiotensinogen, antidiuretic hormone, atrial-natriuretic peptide, calciferol, calcitonin, calcitriol, cholecystokinin, corpus luteum, corticotropin-releasing hormone, cortisol, diabetes mellitus, dopamine, endocrine glands, endocrinology, epinephrine, erythropoietin, exocrine glands, follicle-stimulating hormone, gastrin, gastrointestinal tract, glucagon, glucocorticoids, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, growth hormone-releasing hormone, heart, hormones, human chorionic gonadotrophin, human growth hormone, hypothalamus, insulin, insulin-like growth factor, internal medicine, intestines, islets of Langerhans, kidney, leptin, ligand, liver, luteinizing hormone, medicine, melatonin, mineralocorticoids, neurohypophysis, neuropeptide Y, noradrenaline, norepinephrine, oestrogens, ovarian follicle, oxytocin, pancreas, parathyroid glands, parathyroid hormone, pineal gland, pituitary gland, placenta, pregnant, progesterone, prolactin, renin, salivary glands, secretin, skin, somatostatin, stomach, sweat glands, testes, testosterone, thrombopoietin, thyroid, thyroid gland, thyroid hormones, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, vitamin D
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Endocrine system", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
