2. WHAT IS THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM?
• A system of glands that release vital hormones
into the bloodstream
• A hormone is a specific messenger made
and secreted by an endocrine gland.
• Helps regulate the body’s growth,
metabolism, function, and sexual
development
4. THE MAJOR ORGANS
• Hypothalamus
• Pituitary
• Thyroid
• Parathyroid
• Adrenal glands
• Pancreas
• Gonads
• Thymus
• Pineal Body
5. HYPOTHALAMUS
• Location: the brain
• Target: sends
hormones to the
interior pituitary
• Function: regulates
secretion of the
pituitary gland,
heartbeat,
temperature, and
water balance
6. PITUITARY GLANDS
• Location: the brain,
connected to the
hypothalamus
• Target: sends hormones
to the liver, kidney,
gonads, and the thyroid
and adrenal glands
• Function: it controls
hormone functions such
as our temperature,
thyroid activity, growth
during childhood, urine
production,
• functions as our thermostat
that controls all other
glands that are responsible
for hormone secretion
7. THYROID
• Location: the throat
area
• Target: sends
hormones to all
tissues
• Function: increases
metabolism, helps
control health and
development, and
helps lower blood
calcium levels
8. PARATHYROID GLANDS
• Location: on the
posterior surface of
the thyroid
• Target: sends
hormones to the
bones, kidneys, and
intestines
• Function: Raises
blood calcium level
9. ADRENAL GLANDS
• Location: on top of the
kidney
• Target:
• Adrenal cortex: all tissues
• Adrenal medulla: cardiac
and other muscles
• Function: Secrete
hormones that regulate
chemical balance and
metabolism
• Has two portions, the
cortex and the medulla
that produce:
• Estrogen
• Progesterone
• Adrenaline
• Norepinephrine
10. PANCREAS
• Location: across the back
of the abdomen, behind
the stomach
• Target: small intestines
• Function: The pancreas
has 2 parts.
• the exocrine pancreas,
which secretes digestive
enzymes
• the endocrine pancreas
that secretes hormones
called insulin and
glucagon.
• These hormones regulate the
level of glucose (sugar) in the
blood.
11. GONADS
• Location: testicles in the
men and ovaries in the
women
• Target:
• Function:
• The Gonads consist of the
testes and the ovaries.
• The testes produce
androgens. (e.g.,
testosterone)
• The ovaries produce
estrogens. (e.g.,
progesterone)
14. DISEASES
• When glands produce more or less
hormones needed by the body, diseases
may occur.
• These diseases include:
• Adrenal deficiency
• Types one and two diabetes
• Precocious puberty
• Hyperthyroidism
15. ADRENAL DEFICIENCY
• Adrenal deficiency can be primary or secondary.
• Primary adrenal insufficiency, Addison's disease, occurs
when the adrenal glands are damaged and cannot
produce enough of the hormone cortisol and often the
hormone aldosterone.
• Secondary adrenal deficiency occurs when the pituitary
gland fails to produce enough adrenocorticotropin
(ACTH), a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands to
produce cortisol. Secondary adrenal insufficiency is
much more common than Addison's disease.
