The Neuroendocrine

System
It’s all about messaging

Mr. Ballard is
Cool
1 part nervous, 1 part
endocrine
Nervous Endocrine
 Instant messaging  Radio Broadcasts
system  Sends the signal
 Goes from point A to everywhere, but only
point B and nowhere cells set to the “proper
else reception” pick it up
Nervous system
 Imagine you sending
the message to
another person.
 Your phone is the
brain- source of initial
message
Brain
 Major brain components include
 Cerebrum
 Cerebellum
 Brains stem
 Thalamus
 Hypothalamus
 Frontal lobe controls creativity and
independent thought
After you press send
 The message goes
through the relays
 The other part of the
CNS- Spinal Cord
 Almost all signals go
Cell Phone Towers
through here
 Over 31 pairs of
nerve endings
The Other Person
 They receive the
message after from
you and send a reply.
 Peripheral nervous
system
 What does peripheral
mean?
Peripheral Nervous System
 Two types
 Somatic
 Moving your fingers
 Things you think to do
 Autonomic
 Automatic
 Breathing
 Heartbeats
Reflex Arch
 The process where the stimulus is read before
reaching the brain and causes a response.
 The response makes the muscle move

Stimulus
Stimulus Stimulus
Endocrine
 Like the radioshow
 Transmits
everywhere at once
 Your brain
Every cell can listen
 But the only ones that hear it are the target
cells
 Hormones are the signals that are sent out
 They come at different frequencies (different
hormones)
Nervous system

•Point-to-point control
• Nervous control is
electrical in nature and
fast.
Endocrine System

•Broadcasts hormonal messages to all cells

•Using secretion into blood and extra-cellular
fluid.
•Requires a receiver - in the case of
endocrine messages, cells have a receptor to
receive the hormone
Why do we need the
endocrine system
 Maintenance of the internal environment in
the body (homeostasis)
 Regulation of growth and development.
 Control, maintenance and instigation of
sexual reproduction
Parts of the Endocrine System

 Gland: An organ that secretes

 Two types of glands
 Exocrine Glands: NONHORMONAL chemicals
into DUCTS, transport chemicals inside/outside
the body.
 Sweat glands, mucous glands, salivary glands, and
other digestive glands
 Endocrine Glands: DUCTLESS. Secrete
hormones into the bloodstream and extracellular
fluids.
 Pituitary, Thyroid, Hypothalamus
Hormones
 Are a chemical signal, made in one place and
delivered to another
 Regulate the body’s activities
 Are secreted in small amounts
 Influence the activity of distant cells.
 Are essential to maintaining homeostasis.
 Target Cells
•Hormones circulate in blood, which reaches all
cells.
•Hormone usually affects target cells.
•Target cells respond to a hormone because it has
the appropriate receptors for the hormone.
How do hormones work?
 They DO NOT seek out a particular organ;
the organ AWAITS their arrival
 Cells receive the message via lock and key
method either
 A- on the surface of the cell (membrane)
 B- Directly in the nucleus
Hormones cont…
 Cells only respond to certain hormones.
 The binding of hormone and receptor changes the
receptor shape
 That change activities around receptor.
 Hormone main effect- change enzymatic activities
in the cell.
Two types of hormones
 Steroid Hormones: Made from lipids and cholesterol
 Produced by the adrenal cortex, the ovaries and the
testis.
 ALL OTHER GLANDS PRODUCE AMINO ACID-
BASED HORMONES!
 Steroid hormones ENTER the cell and end up
binding directly with the nucleus.
 Receptor binds with DNA and alters cell activity

 Examples: male testosterone; female estrogen and

progesterone
Two types of hormones cont…
 Amino Acid-Based Hormones (PEPTIDE
HORMONES)
 CANNOT PASS through the membrane
 Sends message from OUTSIDE cell.
 Attach to receptors on membrane,
 2 messengers: Primary (p) and secondary (s)
 One outside membrane to pass message
 To the second one inside the membrane
 A single hormone or “p” can result in the formation
of many “s” messengers.
Endocrine system maintains
homeostasis
How does this system use the concept of
homeostasis to regulate it?