Active vocabulary

Term Meaning
hormone any of various chemicals made
by living cells that influence the development, growth, sex, etc
pancreas an organ in the body that produces insulin (=
a chemical substance that controls the amount of sugar in
the blood) and substances that help to digest food so that it can be used by
the body
stimuli a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue
adrenal gland one of a pair of glands that produce adrenalin, found just above the kidneys
pituitary gland a small organ at the base of the brain that controls the growth and activity of
the body by producing hormones
thyroid (gland) A gland that makes and stores hormones that help regulate the heart rate, blood
pressure, body temperature, and the rate at which food is converted into energy
ovary either of the pair of organs in a woman's body that produce eggs, or the part of
any female animal or plant that produces eggs or seeds
testicle either of the two round male sex organs that produce sperm and are contained in
the scrotum (= bag of skin) below and behind the penis
markedly in a very obvious or noticeable way
gonad one of the organs in a male or female animal that produces sex cells
pineal gland a tiny endocrine gland in the middle of your brain that helps regulate your body's
circadian rhythm by secreting the hormone melatonin
thymus (gland) a small organ that lies in the upper chest under the breastbone
mammary an organ in a woman's breast that produces milk to feed a baby, or
gland a similar organ in a female animal
lacrimal gland A gland that secretes tears
sweat gland one of the small organs under the skin that produce sweat
polypeptide one of a group of polymers made from a chain of amino acids
lipid a substance such as a fat, oil, or wax that dissolves in alcohol but not in water and is
an important part of living cells
glandular belonging or relating to, or produced or caused by, a gland or glands
 ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
The endocrine system consists of cells, tissues, and organs that produce hormones or other chemical
substances. The organs of endocrine system act together to control body activities and maintain
homeostasis. In most people, the pancreas, the adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, and
ovaries or testicles work in tandem. The endocrine system regulates various functions of a human
organism.
It functions as a control system for the human body. Unlike other organs and body parts that enable
to move, breathe, eat, or sense the world around us, the endocrine system influences the body's processes.
Along with nervous system, it coordinates the body's activities and responses to usual and unusual events.
Although both the endocrine system and the nervous system regulate the activities of structures in
the body, they do so in different ways. These two systems cannot be separated completely either
anatomically or functionally. For example, some hormones secreted by endocrine glands affect the nervous
system and markedly influence its activity.
The key mechanism of the endocrine system is the hormone. Different types of endocrine
hormones are secreted by different glands (pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, pancreas,
adrenal glands, gonads: ovaries and testicles, pineal gland, and thymus gland). Most of these hormones are
released into the bloodstream so that they can deliver instructions to various organs and tissues. The
pancreas, for example, secretes the insulin hormone, which enables the body to regulate the amount of
sugar in the bloodstream. In response to stress or other stimuli, the adrenal glands secrete adrenaline,
which produces a sudden and remarkable burst of energy.
Similarly, the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, and gonadal glands influence certain body functions.
Glands, which send the chemical substances into ducts leading to external body surfaces, are called
exocrine glands. They are mammary, salivary, lacrimal and sweat glands.
A hormone is an organic substance with a special molecular structure secreted by definite cells that
has an effect on the function of another cells. Although hormones circulate throughout the body via the
bloodstream, each hormone influences on only certain organs (target organs) or tissues. So, several types
of chemicals are produced by cells and act as chemical messengers, but not all of them are hormones.
Hormones are proteins, glycoproteins, polypeptides, derivatives of amino acids, or lipids (steroids
or derivatives of fatty acids).
As a rule, the greater the amount of a particular hormone in the bloodstream, the greater activity
of the target organ. Some hormones (such as several of those produced by the pituitary gland) control
other glandular activity, but virtually every system in the body is subject to the influence of the hormones,
either directly or indirectly.

Exercises

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions using the information from the text.
1) What does the endocrine system consist of?
2) What are the main functions of organs of endocrine system?
3) Can be both the endocrine and nervous systems be separated? Why?
4) What are the glands of the endocrine system?
5) What is the function of pancreas?
6) Which glands belong to the exocrine glands?
7) What is a hormone? What is the main function of it?
8) What kinds of hormones do you know?

Exercise 2. Read the following abstract and show each gland at the given picture.
1) Pituitary gland is at the base of the brain.
2) Thyroid gland is located on either side of the trachea below the thyroid cartilage.
3) Parathyroid glands are located on the dorsal side of the thyroid gland.
4) Pancreas is behind the stomach.
5) The adrenal glands are situated one on top of each kidney .

Exercise 3. Say if statement is true or false. If false – say the correct information. Ask it each other.
1) The endocrine system can work independently.
2) A hormone is the main mechanism of the endocrine system.
3) The pancreas sends the chemical substances into ducts.
4) In some people, the pancreas, the adrenal, thyroid, pituitary and parathyroid glands don’t work in
tandem.
5) The thyroid gland secrets the insulin hormone.

Exercise 4. Choose the correct terms from the box for the following definitions. Complete this exercise in
pairs asking each other the correct definition.
parathyroid gland thyroid gland
adrenal glands endocrine gland
pancreas exocrine gland
pituitary gland

1. Gland that releases its secretion internally into a body fluid.

2. A gland that releases its secretion to the outside through a duct.
3. A set of glands located near the surface of the thyroid gland.
4. This is a largest gland of the human body.
5. This gland is located in the neck and consists of two lobes. Its hormones are thyroxine and calcitonin.
6. These glands are located atop the kidneys. Each gland consists of a medulla and a cortex.
7. This gland is attached to the base of the brain, has an anterior lobe and a posterior lobe. Most its
secretions are controlled by the hypothalamus. Its hormones are growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating
hormones, and some others.

Exercise 5. Which gland is given article talking about?

A mother consulted the doctor about her son who had grown up in height about 18 cm during the
summer. On examination: height – 190 cm, weight – 68 kg. What endocrine gland’s hypersecretion may
cause this condition?