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Endocrine System

The endocrine system is in charge of the chemicals that the body makes to control growth, mood, metabolism (how the body makes and uses energy), sexual development, and reproductive function. These chemicals are called hormones, which are released into the blood and taken to tissues and organs throughout the body.

The endocrine system makes sure that there is a normal amount of the hormones in the blood, not too much and not too little. Most of the body's hormones are made inside of special groups of cells called glands. Among the major glands that make up the endocrine system, some control the function of other glands, while some glands have their own special jobs. Some of these jobs include making hormones that affect growth, the feeling of pain, appetite, body temperature, and reproduction.

The body has two major categories of glands:

• Exocrine Glands
  Exocrine glands have ducts that carry their secretory product to a surface. They include:
  • The sebaceous glands
  • The sweat glands
  • The mammary glands
  • And the glands that secrete digestive enzymes
• Endocrine Glands
  The endocrine glands do not have ducts to carry their product to a surface. They are called ductless glands. The word endocrine is derived from the Greek terms "endo," meaning within, and "krine," meaning to separate or secrete. The secretory products of endocrine glands are called hormones and are secreted directly into the blood and then carried throughout the body where they influence only those cells that have receptor sites for that hormone. Major endocrine glands:
  • Pineal Gland - a tiny cone shaped organ in the brain that produces the hormone melatonin.
  • Pituitary Gland - a small, pea-sized gland that hangs from the hypothalamus, a structure at the base of the brain.
  • Thyroid Gland - located in front of the neck below the larynx or voice box.
  • Thymus Gland - located in the chest behind the breastbone.
  • Adrenal Glands - a pair of small glands, each of which sits on top of each kidney.
  • Pancreas - a long, soft organ located in the abdomen, behind your stomach and in front of your spine.
  • Ovaries - in females - two organs, about the size of an almond or grape, one on each side of the uterus, in the pelvis area.
  • Testes - in males, the male sex gland. One is called a testicle.

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