endocrine

Examples of endocrine in the following topics:

• Organs with Secondary Endocrine Functions

  • Several organs with specialized non-endocrine functions possess endocrine roles, such as hormone production and release.
  • There are several organs whose primary functions are non-endocrine, but that also possess endocrine functions.
  • The heart possesses endocrine cells in the walls of the atria that are specialized cardiac muscle cells.
  • The endocrine cells are located in the mucus of the GI tract throughout the stomach and small intestine.
  • While the adrenal glands associated with the kidneys are major endocrine glands, the kidneys themselves also possess endocrine function.

• Hormone Functions

  • The endocrine system plays a role in growth, metabolism, and other processes by releasing hormones into the blood.
  • An animal's endocrine system controls body processes through the production, secretion, and regulation of hormones.
  • By releasing hormones, the endocrine system plays a role in growth, metabolism, and sexual development.
  • In humans, common endocrine system diseases include thyroid disease and diabetes mellitus.
  • In organisms that undergo metamorphosis, the process is controlled by the endocrine system.

• Pancreas

  • It contains both exocrine cells that excrete digestive enzymes and endocrine cells that release hormones.
  • It is sometimes referred to as a heterocrine gland because it has both endocrine and exocrine functions.
  • The endocrine cells of the pancreas form clusters called pancreatic islets or the islets of Langerhans .
  • The islets of Langerhans are clusters of endocrine cells found in the pancreas; they stain lighter than surrounding cells.
  • It is both an endocrine and exocrine gland.

• Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

  • The endocrine system uses chemical signals to communicate and regulate the body's physiology.
  • The collection of these glands makes up the endocrine system.
  • The hypothalamus in vertebrates integrates the endocrine and nervous systems.
  • The hypothalamus is an endocrine organ located in the diencephalon of the brain.
  • It receives input from the body and other brain areas, initiating endocrine responses to environmental changes.

• Forms of Signaling

  • The major types of signaling mechanisms that occur in multicellular organisms are paracrine, endocrine, autocrine, and direct signaling.
  • Signals from distant cells are called endocrine signals; they originate from endocrine cells.
  • In the body, many endocrine cells are located in endocrine glands, such as the thyroid gland, the hypothalamus, and the pituitary gland.
  • Hormones travel the large distances between endocrine cells and their target cells via the bloodstream, which is a relatively slow way to move throughout the body.
  • Paracrine signaling acts on nearby cells, endocrine signaling uses the circulatory system to transport ligands, and autocrine signaling acts on the signaling cell.

• Hormonal Responses to Food

  • The endocrine system controls the release of hormones responsible for starting, stopping, slowing, and quickening digestive processes.
  • The endocrine system controls the response of the various glands in the body and the release of hormones at the appropriate times.
  • The endocrine system's effects are slow to initiate, but prolonged in their response, lasting from a few hours up to weeks.
  • These hormones are chemical mediators released from endocrine tissue into the bloodstream where they travel to target tissue and generate a response.
  • These hormones are released from endocrine tissue to generate specific controls in the digestion of chyme.

• Thyroid Gland

  • The thyroid gland, the largest endocrine gland, is responsible for the production of the hormones T3, T4, and calcitonin.
  • The thyroid gland, one of the largest endocrine glands in the body, is located in the neck, just below the larynx and in front of the trachea .
  • The location of the thyroid gland is in the neck below the larynx and in front of the trachea; it is the largest endocrine gland in the body, producing T3, T4, and calcitonin.

• Humoral, Hormonal, and Neural Stimuli

  • A number of endocrine glands release hormones when stimulated by hormones released by other endocrine glands.
  • The anterior pituitary, in turn, releases hormones that regulate hormone production by other endocrine glands.
  • In some cases, the nervous system directly stimulates endocrine glands to release hormones, which is referred to as neural stimuli.

• Pineal Gland and Gonads

  • The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in the brain .
  • The gonads are additional types of endocrine glands .
  • The pineal gland is an endocrine gland located in the middle of the brain.

• Control of Homeostasis

  • Homeostasis is controlled by the nervous and endocrine systems in mammals.
  • Specialized cells in the pancreas (part of the endocrine system) sense the increase, releasing the hormone insulin.
  • The hormone oxytocin, made by the endocrine system, stimulates the contraction of the uterus.