2. Endocrine system
(= Endocrine glands + Hormones)
Endocrine system is made up of glands (ductless) and
the hormones they secrete
Hormones are released by the endocrine glands or
specialized cells into the circulating blood, influencing the
function of target cells
Although the endocrine glands are the primary
hormone producers, the heart, lungs, liver, skin,
gastrointestinal mucosa, and placenta also produce and
release hormones.
3. Hormones
(“These unsung heroes of the body inform cells when it’s time to go to work”)
Hormone (Greek hormaein—to stir up) is a
chemical messenger that is secreted directly
into the blood
Transported in the bloodstream to target
organs or other cells, transferring information
and instructions.
4. Hormones act by controlling and coordinating:
body'smetabolism,
energy level,
reproduction,
growth and development,
and response to injury, stress, and mood.
5. Hormones
Hyposecretion or Hypersecretion of any
hormone is harmful to the body.
Hormonal Imbalance
Controlling the production or utilization of
hormones can treat many hormonal disorders in
the body.
6. Anatomy of Endocrine System
The major Endocrine glands in human body include:
Hypothalamus
Pituitary gland
Pineal gland
Thyroid gland
Thymus gland
Parathyroid gland
Adrenal gland
Pancreas
Ovaries
Testes
7. Hypothalamus
= hypo - below + thalamus
located at the base of the brain
near the optic chiasm where the optic
nerves behind each eye cross and meet
8. Pituitary gland
“master gland”
synthesizes and releases various
hormones that affect several organs
throughout the body
pea-sized oval structure
suspended from the underside of
the brain by the pituitary stalk
(infundibulum)
Adenohypophysis +
Neurohypophysis
9. Pineal gland
= epiphysis cerebri
small cone-shaped
Located below the corpus callosum,
in the middle of the brain.
10. Thyroid gland
one of the largest endocrine gland
butterfly shaped
located in the anterior neck,
between the C5 and T1 vertebrae
divided into two lobes, connected by
an isthmus.
11. Thymus gland
located in the upper part of the chest
Dual organ (Lymphoid + Endocrine)
Largest in children
decreases in size after puberty
(involution) and is slowly replaced by fat.
12. Parathyroid glands
four small glands
located in the neck
on the posterior aspect of the lateral lobes of
the thyroid gland.
13. Adrenal glands
= supra renal glands
located on top of each kidney
= Adrenal Cortex + Adrenal Medulla
Adrenal cortex :
• Zona glomerulosa
• Zona fasciculata
• Zona reticularis
15. Ovaries
female gonads
Two in number
located on both sides of the uterus,
below the opening of the fallopian tubes
mixed gland (gametes + sex hormones)
16. Testes
Male gonads
pair of sperm-producing organs
located in a pouch called scrotum
mixed gland (gametes + sex hormones)
18. Physiology of Endocrine System
Classification of Hormones:
Steroid hormones (made from cholesterol)
include the sex hormones made by the gonads
and hormones produced by the adrenal cortex.
Amino acid-based hormones (including
proteins, peptides, and amines) - All the others
are nonsteroidal amino acid derivatives
21. Anterior Pituitary gland
Growth Hormone - Protein synthesis and overall growth of most cells and tissues
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) - Synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones
Adrenocorticotropic hormone - Stimulates synthesis and secretion of adrenocortical
hormones (cortisol, androgens, and aldosterone)
Prolactin - Promotes development of the female breasts and secretion of milk
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) - Causes growth of follicles in the ovaries and
sperm maturation in Sertoli cells of testes
Luteinizing hormone (LH) - Testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells of testes; ovulation,
formation of corpus luteum, and estrogen and progesterone synthesis in ovaries
22. Posterior Pituitary gland
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) (also called
vasopressin) - Increases water reabsorption
by the kidneys and causes vasoconstriction
and increased blood pressure
Oxytocin - Stimulates milk ejection from
breasts and uterine contractions
23. Thyroid gland
Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) -
Increases the rates of chemical reactions in
most cells, thus increasing body metabolic rate
Calcitonin - Promotes deposition of calcium in
the bones and decreases extracellular fluid
calcium ion concentration
24. Pineal gland
= third eye (deeper location, connection to light
and metaphysical connection between the
physical and spiritual worlds)
Melatonin - regulates the circadian
rhythm of the body.
25. Thymus gland
Thymosin:
• production of T cells,
• assists in the development of B cells to
plasma cells to produce antibodies.
26. Parathyroid glands
Parathyroid hormone - Controls serum calcium ion
concentration by increasing calcium absorption by the
gut and kidneys and releasing calcium from bones
27. Adrenal glands
Adrenal cortex :
◦ Zona glomerulosa – Mineralocorticoids (Aldosterone) - Increases
renal sodium reabsorption, potassium secretion, and hydrogen
ion secretion
• Zona fasciculata – Glucocorticoids (Cortisol) - multiple metabolic
functions for controlling metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates,
and fats; also has anti-inflammatory effects
• Zona reticularis - Sex corticoids (Testosterone, Estrogen and
Progesterone)
Adrenal Medulla - Norepinephrine, epinephrine - Same effects
as sympathetic stimulation
28. Pancreas
Alpha (α) cells - Glucagon - Increases
synthesis and release of glucose from the
liver into the body fluids
Beta (β) cells - Insulin - Promotes
glucose entry in many cells, and in this way
controls carbohydrate metabolism
Delta (δ) cells – Somatostatin - inhibits
the secretion of other hormones
29. Ovaries
• Estrogen - Promotes growth and
development of female reproductive
system, female breasts, and female
secondary sexual characteristics
• Progesterone - Stimulates secretion of
“uterine milk” by the uterine endometrial
glands and promotes development of
secretory apparatus of breasts
33. Other Hormone-Producing Tissues
and Organs
Skin:
• Insulin-like growth factors, pro-opiomelanocortin derivatives, catecholamines, steroid hormones
and vitamin D from cholesterol.
Lung:
• Norepinephrine, Acetylcholine, Prostaglandins, etc.
Heart:
• Atrinatriuretic peptide (ANP) – BP regulation by Na+ and water excretion
Kidney:
• Erythropoietin – Erythrocyte production
• Renin – Aldosterone secretion
Liver:
• Insulin like growth factor, Erythropoietin, Hepcidin, etc.
Editor's Notes
This is an artist’s representation of a molecule of insulin. This hormone helps the body use its food as energy.
Larynx = voice box
Mediastinum is the space between the lungs inside chest cavity
Besides the major endocrine organs,
Larynx = voice box
for many reasons, including its location deep in the center of the brain and its connection to light. Mystic and esoteric spiritual traditions suggest it serves as a metaphysical connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.
The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm.
Mediastinum is the space between the lungs inside chest cavity
production of T cells, which are an important part of the immune system
Uterine milk is part of the embryotroph. It is a white secretion containing proteins and amino acids that nourishes the embryo during development. The uterine milk is the actual nutritional liquid that feeds the embryo, while the embryotroph is the uterine milk plus the syncytiotrophoblast.
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a hormone that, along with growth hormone (GH), helps promote normal bone and tissue growth and development