Endocrine system

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From Biology: Principles and Explorations, Teaching Transparencies. Copyright 1996 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. (Source: U.S. EPA)


Endocrine System Overview

The endocrine system, also referred to as the hormone system, is found in all mammals, birds, and fish and many other types of living organisms. It is made up of:

  • Glands located throughout the body.
  • Hormones (i.e., chemical messengers) that are made by the glands and released into the bloodstream or the fluid surrounding cells.
  • Receptors in various organs and tissues that recognize and respond to the hormones.

Hormones are released by glands and travel throughout the body searching for cells that contain matching receptors—proteins within the target cell or located on the surface of the target cell. The hormone binds with the receptor, much like a key would fit into a lock to unlock a door. The hormones, or keys, need to find compatible receptors, or locks, to work properly. Although hormones reach all parts of the body, only target cells with compatible receptors are equipped to respond. Once a receptor and a hormone have bonded, the receptor carries out the hormone's instructions by either altering the cell's existing proteins or turning on genes that will build a new protein. Both of these actions create reactions throughout the body. Researchers have identified more than 50 hormones in humans and other vertebrates.

The endocrine system regulates all biological processes from the conception of an organism through adulthood and into old age regulating many functions of a body, including metabolism, blood sugar levels, growth and function of the reproductive system, and the development of the brain and nervous system. The female ovaries, male testes, and pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands are all endocrine glands.

The EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program focuses on the estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones. Estrogens, produced primarily by the ovaries and in small amounts by the adrenal glands, are the group of hormones responsible for female sexual development. Androgens are substances responsible for male sex characteristics. Testosterone, the sex hormone produced by the testicles, is an androgen. The thyroid gland secretes two main hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, into the bloodstream that stimulate all the cells in the body and control many biological processes such as growth, reproduction, development, and metabolism.

Endocrine glands are located throughout the human body

Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus links our endocrine and nervous systems together. The hypothalamus drives the endocrine system.

Pituitary gland
The pituitary gland receives signals from the hypothalamus. This gland has two lobes, the posterior and anterior lobes. The posterior lobe secretes hormones that are made by the hypothalamus. The anterior lobe produces its own hormones, several of which act on other endocrine glands.

Thyroid gland
The thyroid gland is critical to the healthy development and maturation of vertebrates and regulates metabolism.

Adrenal glands
The adrenal gland is made up of two glands: the cortex and medulla. These glands produce hormones in response to stress and regulate blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and the body's salt and water balance.

Pancreas
The pancreas is responsible for producing glucagon and insulin. Both hormones help regulate the concentration of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

Gonads
The male reproductive gonads, or testes, and female reproductive gonads, or ovaries, produce steroids that affect growth and development and also regulate reproductive cycles and behaviors. The major categories of gonadal steroids are androgens, estrogens, and progestins, all of which are found in both males and females but at different levels[1].

Endocrine Disruptors

Disrupting the endocrine system can occur in various ways. Some chemicals can mimic a natural hormone, fooling the body into over-responding to the stimulus (e.g., a growth hormone that results in increased muscle mass) or responding at inappropriate times (e.g., producing insulin when it is not needed). Other endocrine disrupting chemicals can block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors. Still others can directly stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system, causing overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Certain drugs are used to intentionally cause some of these effects, such as birth control pills. In many situations involving environmental chemicals, an endocrine effect may not be desirable.

In recent years, some scientists have proposed that chemicals might inadvertently be disrupting the endocrine system of humans and wildlife. A variety of chemicals have been found to disrupt the endocrine systems of animals in laboratory studies, and compelling evidence shows that endocrine systems of certain fish and wildlife have been effected by chemical contaminants, resulting in developmental and reproductive problems. However, the relationship of human diseases of the endocrine system and exposure to environmental contaminants is poorly understood and scientifically controversial.

References

EPA " rel="nofollow|Endocrine System Overview

Notes

The Encyclopedia of Earth article Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, United States (Endocrine system) supplements this entry.



Disclaimer: This article is taken wholly from, or contains information that was originally published by, the Environmental Protection Agency. Topic editors and authors for the Encyclopedia of Earth may have edited its content or added new information. The use of information from the Environmental Protection Agency should not be construed as support for or endorsement by that organization for any new information added by EoE personnel, or for any editing of the original content.

Citation

(2009). Endocrine system. Retrieved from http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/endocrine_system