ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

M KASTHURI BAI
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INTRODUCTION
Consists of glands and tissues that secretes
hormones.
Hormones are chemical signals that affect
the activity of other glands or tissues
Importance of hormone functions

Reproduction
Growth and development
Immune system response
Homeostasis

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

Hormone
Exocrine glands
Secrete non hormonal chemicals into ducts
Which transport chemicals to a specific
location
ie sweat gland, mucous gland, salivary gland
and digestive glands
Endocrine glands
Ductless glands located throughout the body
Secrete hormones into the bloodstream
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Classes of hormone
Amino acid based hormones

Most hormones are this type

Ie insulin,

Steroid hormones

Synthesized from cholesterol

Lipid-soluble; able to pass through the
phospholipid membrane
Ie: gonadal hormone and adrenal cortical hormone

Eicosanoids (minor class of hormones)

Includes the leukotrienes and prostaglandins

How hormones work?

Hormone secretion is controlled by negative
feedback
Endocrine gland sensitive to

Regulating condition (ie blood glucose)

Blood level of the hormone(ie insulin hormone)

The action of hormone can be controlled by

antagonistic hormone (ie insulin vs glukagon)
The result is maintenance of a bodily
substance or function within normal limits

Hypothalamus
Regulates the internal environment through
the autonomic system

Ie heart beat, body temperature and water

balance

Located beneath the thalamus in the brain

Considered master switchboard for the
endocrine system
Controls the glandular secretions of the
pituitary gland

Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus links the nervous system to
the endocrine system
Neurosecretory cells of hypothalamus
produce hormones that either are stored in
pituitary gland or regulate the pituitary activity
Hypothalamus maintain the internal
environment by

Send out nerve signal to other part of the brain

(medulla) to speed up or slow down heart rate
Send out commands in the form of hormones,
acting like endocrine glands
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Hypothalamus and pituitary gland

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Pituitary
glands

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The pituitary gland

A small gland about 1 cm in diameter is
connected to the hypothalamus by a stalk-like
structure
Pituitary has 2 portions : anterior and
posterior pituitary
Posterior pituitary stores 2 hormones

Vasopressin (or ADH)

Cause kidney to form concentrated urine and conserve
water

Oxytocin
Stimulates uterus contraction during labor and causes
release of milk
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The pituitary gland

Anterior pituitary gland

Controls by hypothalamus through hypothalamic

releasing hormone and inhibiting hormone
6 types of hormones released by anterior pituitary

TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)

ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone)
Gonadotrophic hormone (FSH & LH)
PRL (Prolactin)
MSH (Melanocyte stimulating hormone)
GH (Growth Hormone)

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Hypothalamus
Releasing hormone
(hormone 1)
Feedback inhibits
release of hormone 1

Anterior pituitary
Stimulating hormone
(hormone 2)

feed back inhibit release

of hormone 2

Target gland
Target gland horm
(hormone 3)
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Thyroid gland
Located in the neck just below the larynx
Produces

Triiodothyronine (T3)
Thyroxine (T4)
Calcitonin

T3 and T4 stimulates and maintains metabolic rate , normal

heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.

More glucose breakdown over fat usage for energy

requires iodin for hormonal production

Iodin defficient simple Goiter

Thyroid fails to develop creatinism
Oversecretion of thyroid hormone Graves disease

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Creatinism

Graves disease

Thyroid gland

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Thyroid gland
Calcium plays important role nervous
conduction, muscle contraction and blood
clotting
Calcitonin maintains calcium level in blood
and inhibits calcium release from bone
It does this by temporarily reducing the
activity and number of osteoclast
Blood Ca lowers, calcitonin inhibited
Low Ca level stimulates parathyroid hormone
(PTH)
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Homeostasis of calcium

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Parathyroid hormone
Attached to or embedded in the backsurface
of thyroid gland, 2 in each lobe
Produces PTH to regulate Ca level in blood
By increasing reabsorption Ca in the kidneys
and increasing Ca uptake from digestive
system
Important in promoting proper nerve and
muscle function and maintaining bone
structure
Loss of PTH results in a violent muscular
spasms known as tetany
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Adrenal glands
Two adrenal glands sit atop the kidneys
Each adrenal gland consists of

Outer adrenal cortex

Inner adrenal medulla

Controlled by hypothalamus
Where it stimulates anterior
pituitary to release ACTH
ACTH reacts at adrenal cortex

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Adrenal cortex
Outer portion, makes up 80% of the mass of
the gland
Produces two types of hormone

Glucocorticoid ( cortisol )
Affects CHO, protein and fat metabolism and helps to
cope stress

Minerelocorticoid ( Aldosterone )
Regulates sodium reabsorption and potassium excretion
by the kidneys
Affects water and salt balance

Decrease activity of adrenal cortex

addisons disease
Increase adrenal cortex activity Cushings
syndrome

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Addisons disease

Cushings syndrome

Adrenal medulla
Inner portion specialized part of sympathetic
nervous system
Secretes 2 a.a hormones adrenaline and
noradrenalin
Fight or flight hormones nerve impulses
from sympathetic system causes hormone
secretion
Adrenaline

Increase heart rate, BP, Glycogen to glucose,

increase metabolic rate

Noradrenaline

Stimulates heart muscle by increasing the rate

and strength of heartbeat

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Reproductive glands
Gonads produces gamette and a group of
sex hormone
Sex hormone regulate body changes that
begin with puberty
FSH and LH stimulate secretion of sex
hormone from gonads
Ovaries produces estrogen and
progesterone
Testes produces testosterone

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Pancreas
Is both exocrine (duct) and endocrine gland
Hormone producing cells islets of
langerhans
Islets of langerhans

Alpha cells secretes glucagon

Beta cells secretes insulin

Both insulin and glucagon regulates blood

glucose
Insulin stimulates target cells to take up
glucose, use or store, reduce bld glucose
Glucagon breakdown the stored glycogen,
increase glucose level

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Maintenance of blood glucose

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Pancreas
Type I or juvenile onset before 25, little or
no insulin, requires a strict diet and daily
insulin injection
Type II or adult onset after 40, producing
normal or reduced amounts of insulin, or cells
are unable to respond due lack of insulin
receptors

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Pancreas
Hypoglycemia

Caused by excess insulin or low blood sugar

Causes release of glucagon and epinephrine
(adrenaline)
Symptoms : lethargy, dizziness, nervousness,
overactivity and unconsciousness and death

Hyperglycemia

Caused by low insulin or high blood sugar

Cause nausea, rapid breathing, oxygen
deficiency, circulatory and nervous failure, diabetic
coma or death
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Thymus gland
Thymus gland is located beneath the
sternum (breastbone) and between the lungs
The thymus consists of mostly T-cells
Important role in immune system
Thymus gland secretes thymosin (a.a
hormone)
Stimulates formation of T cells and help
defend body from pathogen

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Pineal gland

Located near the base of the brain

Secretes the hormone melatonin
Melatonin concentration increase at night
Regulates our daily sleep-wake cycle
Circadian rhythms are controlled biological
clock located in the hypothalamus

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The end

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