HUMAN ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

❖ The endocrine glands and hormone

producing diffused tissue / cell located
in different part of our body constitute
the endocrine system.

❖ Pituitary , pineal , thyroid , adrenal ,

pancreas , parathyroid , thymus and
gonads ( testis in males and ovary in
females ) are the organised endocrine
bodies in our body .
❖ It contains several groups of neurosecretory cells
called nuclei which produce hormones.

❖ These hormones regulate the synthesis and

secretion of pituitary hormones.
❖ The hormones produced by hypothalamus are of
two types

Releasing hormones Inhibiting hormones

( which stimulate secretion ( which inhibit secretion of
of pituitary hormones ) pituitary hormones )
❖ the pituitary gland is located in a bony cavity
called sella tursica and is attached to
hypothalamus by a stalk.

❖ The pituitary gland is divided into three major

parts pars distalia , pars intermedia and pars
nervosa.

❖ the pituitary hormones regulate the growth

and development of somatic tissues and
activities of peripheral endocrine gland .
 Pars distalis
Pars intermedia
❖ The pars distalis region of pituitary,
commonly called anterior pituitary . ❖ Secretes only one hormone called
❑ Pars distalis produces six trophic melanocyte stimulating hormone .
hormones .

▪ Growth hormone (GH) Pars nervosa ( neurohypophysis)

▪ Prolactin (PRL)
▪ Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) ❖ Also known as posterior pituitary
▪ Adrenocorticotrophic hormone ( ACTH
▪ Luteinizing hormone ( LH) ❑ Secretes two hormones
▪ Follicle stimulating hormones (FSH) ▪ Oxytocin
▪ vasopressin
❖ Growth Hormone regulates growth and development of the
body.

❖ if there is a deficiency of this hormone in childhood , it leads

to dwarfism .
 Pineal Gland
❖ the pineal gland is located on the dorsal side
of forebrain .

❖ Pineal secretes a hormone called melatonin.

❖ Melatonin plays a very important role in the

regulation of 24hr rhythm of our body.

❖ For example : it helps in maintaining the

normal rhythms of sleep-wake cycle, body
temperature.
❖ The thyroid gland is composed of two lobes which are
located on either side of the trachea.

❖ Both the lobes are interconnected with a thin flap of

connective tissue called isthmus.
❖ The thyroid gland is composed of follicles and stromal
tissues.
❖ Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland to make
thyroxin hormone.

❖ thyroxine regulates carbohydrate, protein and fat

metabolism in the body so as to provide the best balance
for growth.
❑ deficiency of iodine in our diet results in
hypothyroidism and enlargement of the thyroid gland
commonly called goitre.
❑ One of the symptoms in this disease is a swollen neck.

❑ in adult women , hypothyroidism may cause

menstrual cycle to become irregular .
❑ Thyroid hormones play an important role in regulation of the basal
metabolic rate.

❖ Thyroid gland also secretes a protein hormone called thyrocalcitonin ( TCT )

which regulates the blood calcium levels.
❖ In human , four parathyroid glands are present on the
back side of the thyroid gland.

❖ the parathyroid glands secrete a peptide hormone

called parathyroid hormone ( PTH) .

❖ The secretion of PTH is regulated by the circulating

levels of calcium ions.

❖ parathyroid hormone increases the Ca^2 levels in the

blood.
 Thymus

❖ the thymus plays a major role in the

development of the immune system.

❖ this gland secretes the peptide hormones called

thymosins.

❖ thymosins also promote production of

antibodies to provide humoral immunity .
 Adrenal Gland
❖Our body has one pair of adrenal glands , one at
the anterior part of each kidney.

❖ adrenaline is a hormone released from the

adrenal gland.

❖Adrenaline help to prepare for stressful or

dangerous situations.

❖ increase the heart beat , the strength of heart

contraction and the rate of respiration.
❖ pancreas is a composite gland which acts as both
exocrine and endocrine gland.
❖ the endocrine pancreas consists of ‘islets’ of
Langerhans.

❖ The two main types of Islets of Langerhans are

called α – cells and β – cells .

❖ The α – cells secrete hormone called glucagon.

❖ The β – cells secrete insulin.

❑ Insulin and glucagon are both hormone
which produced by pancreas and helps
in regulating blood glucose (sugar)
levels.

❑ Glucagon acts mainly on the liver cell

(hepatocytes).

❑ diabetic patients are successfully treated

with insulin therapy.
Plant growth promoters
❖ when light is coming from one side of the
plant, auxin diffuses towards the shady side of
the shoot.
❖ Synthesised at the shoot tip, helps the cells to
grow longer.
❖ Auxin promote flowering , e.g : in pineapples.
❖ Auxin also controls xylem differentiation and
helps in cell division.

❖ Auxin also induce parthenocarpy

(development of fruit without fertilization.)
e.g : in tomatoes.
❖ Help in the growth of the stem .

❖ Gibberellic acid ( GA3) was one of the first

gibberellins to be discovered.

❖ Gibberellins , cause fruits like apple to elongate and

improve its shape.

❖ Gibberellins also promotes bolting ( internode

elongation just prior to flowering ) in beet , cabbages
and many plants with rosette habit.
❖ Cytokinin's promote cell division.
❖ Natural cytokinin's are synthesised in regions
where rapid cell division occurs
❖ Example : root ,apices , developing shoot buds
young fruits etc.

❖ It help to produce new leaves, chloroplasts in

leaves , lateral shoot growth and adventitious
shoot formation.
❖ Cytokinin’s are used to delay aging.
❖ Cytokinin's help overcome the apical
dominance.
Plant growth inhibitors
 Abscisic acid

❑ it acts as a general plant growth inhibitor and inhibitor of plant

metabolism.

❑ it is also called stress hormones.

❑ Abscisic acid plays an important role in seed development ,

maturation and dormancy.

❑ Its effects include wilting of leaves.

❑ Abscisic acid inhibits seed germination.

 Ethylene
❑ ethylene is highly effective in fruit ripening.

❑ influences of ethylene on plants include horizontal growth of seedlings, swelling

of the axis and apical hook formation in dicot seedlings.

❑ ethylene promotes senescence and abscission of plant organs especially of leaves

and flowers.

❑ ethylene also promotes root growth and root hair formation , thus helping the
plants to increase their absorption surface.

❑Ethylene is used to initiate flowering and synchronising fruit – set in pineapples.