XI.

The Endocrine System

Introduction

Your endocrine system is the second major controlling system of your body. It functions
in the regulation of your body activities and the maintenance of your homeostasis through the
feedback mechanisms. It is much slower acting compared to your nervous system, but has a very
widespread, long lasting, and powerful effects on the target organs.

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Identify the glands of the endocrine system.
2. List the hormones produced by each gland 3. Describe the effects
of each hormone to the body.
4. Explain the stimuli of hormone release.

Try this!

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Concept Map . Label the endocrine glands on the figure below and indicate the
hormone /s produced by the each gland. Then identify the action of each hormone by writing
its corresponding number in the given table ( next page) .

ACTH GH PRL
Hypothalamus
LH
Pituitary
FSH Pineal Body Melatonin
ADH
Oxytocin
Parathyroid PTH

T3&T4 Thyroid Thymus

Heart Thymosin
Calcitonin

Adrenal
Epinephrin Stomach
e Insulin
Aldosteron Pancreas
e Kidney Glucagon
Cortisol

Androgens Ovary Estrogen

Testosterone Testes

Figure 94. A concept map of the endocrine system

Functions Hormones
Maintain blood pressure 10
Calcium for bones 8 &15
Growth 2
Sperm and egg production 5
Milk production 1
Sleep cycles 14
Immune function 16
Stress hormone 3
Vasopressin (water balance) 20
Increase heart rate 9
Regulates sex hormone 4
Female development 19

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Uptake of glucose 17
Male development 13
Stabilize blood glucose 11
Male, female function 12
Contractions (labor) 6
Raise blood sugar 18
For energy 7

Compare your answers to the information given in the Read and Ponder section. Are they
similar? If yes, good job!

Think Ahead!

The concept map activity will not only help you remember the location of the endocrine
glands but also give you an idea about their specific functions and the hormones they produce.

Hormones are chemical messengers that are secreted directly into the blood, which carries
them to organs and tissues of the body to exert their functions. They help regulate your body’s
processes, like hunger, temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, oxygen and carbon
dioxide levels, salt concentrations (electrolytes), and sexual desire. Nearly all hormones are amino
acid-based hormones or steroids.

But what prompts the endocrine glands to release or not release their hormones?
Endocrine glands are activated to release their hormones into the blood by hormonal stimuli
(release of a hormone in response to another hormone), humoral stimuli (control of hormone
release in response to changes in extracellular fluids such as blood or the ion concentration in the
blood), or neural stimuli (stimulation of endocrine glands by the nervous system). To understand
further about the stimuli, you may read any textbook on human anatomy and physiology or view
a video about the control of hormone secretion at https://youtu.be/QXD_eogr11A.

Read and Ponder!

Your endocrine system is composed of several glands producing specific hormones that act
on target organs.

Take a look at the summary in the table below:

Endocrine Associated Hormones Effect
Gland
growth hormone promotes growth of body tissues
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Pituitary prolactin promotes milk production

(anterior) thyroid-stimulating stimulates thyroid hormone release
hormone
adrenocorticotropic stimulates hormone release by adrenal
hormone cortex
follicle-stimulating stimulates gamete production
hormone
luteinizing hormone stimulates androgen production by gonads in
males; stimulates ovulation and production of
estrogen and progesterone in females
Pituitary antidiuretic hormone stimulates water reabsorption by kidneys
(posterior) oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions during
childbirth
Pineal melatonin regulate the human sleep-wake cycle
known as the circadian rhythm
Thyroid thyroxine, triiodothyronine stimulate metabolism
calcitonin reduces blood Ca2+ levels
Parathyroid parathyroid hormone increases blood Ca2+ levels
Thymus thymosin train and develop T-lymphocytes
Adrenal aldosterone increases blood Na+ levels
(cortex) cortisol, corticosterone, increase blood-glucose levels
cortisone
Adrenal epinephrine, stimulate fight-or-flight response
(medulla) norepinephrine
Pancreas insulin reduces blood-glucose levels
glucagon increases blood-glucose levels
Gonad androgens maturation and maintenance of male
(Testes) reproductive organs and secondary sex
characteristics
Gonad estrogen stimulate uterine lining growth; development
(Ovaries) and maintenance of female secondary sex
characteristics
progesterone promotes growth of uterine lining

For more information about the endocrine system, you may read any textbook on human
anatomy and physiology or go to https://www.visiblebody.com/learn/endocrine.

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See if you can do this!

I. Write T for True or F for False. If the statement is false, write the correct term to make it true
on the blank after the statement.
__T_1. The development of T-lymphocytes is regulated by hormones known as
"mineralocorticoids."_________________
__T_2. Secondary male characteristics are influenced by hormones known as "androgens."___
___3. The "beta" cells of the pancreas are responsible for the production of glucagon. alpha
___4. Contractions of the uterus may be stimulated by the hormone "vasopressin." Oxytocin
___5. The "anterior" pituitary gland receives and stores hormones from the hypothalamus.
posterior

II. Label the glands of the endocrine system.

Pineal Gland
Hypothalamus
Pituitary Gland
Thyroid Gland
Parathyroid Gland

Thymus Gland
Adrenal Gland
Pancreas

Ovary

Testes

Figure 95. The endocrine glands

III. What are the three ways in which endocrine glands are stimulated to secrete their
hormones?
The three mechanisms of hormonal release are:
A. humoral stimuli- refers to the control of hormone release in response to changes in
extracellular fluids such as blood or the ion concentration in the blood.
B. hormonal stimuli- refers to the release of a hormone in response to another
hormone.
C. neural stimuli- is a hormone that is released by the glands of the endocrine system.
Congratulations for a job well done!!
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