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Endocrine System
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The Endocrine System

The branches of science that will help you understand the body parts and
functions are anatomy and physiology. Anatomy deals with the study of the
human body (the component parts, structure and position) and physiology the
study of how the body functions.

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TheEndocrineSystem
The endocrine system affects bodily activities by releasing chemical messages,
called hormones, into the bloodstream from exocrine and endocrine glands.
The function of hormones is to:
Control the internal environment by regulating its chemical composition
and volume
Respond to environmental changes to help the body cope with
emergencies - infection, stress etc
Help regulate organic metabolism and energy balance
Contribute to the management of growth and development
Hormones are chemicals that cause certain changes in particular parts of the
body. Their effects are slower and more general than nerve action. They can
control long-term changes such as rate of growth, rate of activity and sexual
maturity.
The endocrine or ductless glands secrete their hormones directly into the
blood stream. The hormones are circulated all over the body and reach their
target organ via the blood stream. When hormones pass through the liver,
they are converted by the kidneys. Tests on such hormonal products in urine
can be used to detect pregnancy.
The endocrine system consists of
they are found throughout the
parathyroids, thymus, supra-renal
parts of the ovaries and testes.
certain that they are functionally

a series of glands that secrete hormones;

body and include the pituitary, thyroid,
or adrenal glands, part of the pancreas and
Although these glands are separate, it is
closely related because the health of the

body is dependent upon the correctly balanced output from the various glands
that form this system.

ThePituitaryGland(Hypophysis)

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This gland has been described as the leader of the endocrine orchestra. It
consists of two lobes, anterior and posterior. The anterior lobe secretes many
hormones, including the growth-promoting somatotropic hormone which
controls the bones and muscles and in this way determines the overall size of
the individual. Over secretion of the hormone in children produces gigantism
and under secretion produces dwarfism. The anterior lobe also produces
gonadotropic hormones for both male and female gonad activity. Thyrotropic
hormones regulate the thyroid and adrenocorticotropic hormones regulate the
adrenal cortex. It also produces metabolic hormones.
The posterior lobe produces two hormones - oxytocin and vasopressin.
Oxytocin causes the uterine muscles to contract; it also causes the ducts of
the mammary glands to contract and, in this way, helps to express the milk
that the gland has secreted into the ducts. Vasopressin is an antidiuretic
hormone that has a direct effect on the tubules of the kidneys and increases
the amount of fluid they absorb so that less urine is excreted. It also contracts
blood vessels in the heart and lungs and so raises the blood pressure. It is not
certain whether these two hormones are actually manufactured in the
posterior lobe or whether they are produced in the hypothalamus and passed
down the stalk of the pituitary gland to be stored in the posterior lobe and
liberated from there into the circulation.

TheThyroid
The right and left lobes of this gland lie on either side of the trachea united by
the isthmus. Average size of each lobe is 4cm long and 2cm across but these
sizes may vary considerably. The secretion of this gland is thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Thyroxine controls the general metabolism. Both hormones
contain iodine but thyronine is more active than thyroxin. Under-secretion of
this hormone in children produces cretinism; the children show stunted
growth (dwarfism) and fail to develop mentally. Under secretion in adults
results in a low metabolic rate. Over secretion in adults gives rise to
exophthalmic goitre and the metabolic rate is higher than usual. Such persons
may eat well but burn up so much fuel that they remain thin. This is usually
accompanied by a rapid pulse rate. This gland, therefore, has a profound
influence on both mental and physical activity.

TheParathyroidGlands
There are four of these glands, two on either side lying behind the thyroid.
Their secretion is parathormone - the function of which is to raise the blood
calcium as well as maintain the balance of calcium and phosphorus in both the
blood and bone structures. Under secretion gives rise to a condition known as
tetany in which the muscles go into spasm, and over secretion causes calcium
to be lost to the blood from the bones giving rise to softened bones, raised
blood calcium and a marked depression of the nervous system.

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TheThymusGland
This gland lies in the lower part of the neck and attains a maximum length of
about 6cm. After puberty, the thymus begins to atrophy so that in the adult
only fibrous remnants is found. Its secretion is thought to act as a brake on
the development of sex organs so that as the thymus atrophies, the sex
organs develop. Recent research into the activity of this gland reveals that it

plays an important part in the body's immune system by producing T

lymphocy - the T standing for thymus derived.

TheSuprarenalorAdrenalGlands
These are two in number, triangular and yellow in colour. They lay one over
each kidney. They are divided like the kidney into two parts -the cortex and
the medulla. The cortex is the outer part of the gland and produces a number
of hormones called cortico-steroids. Their function is to control sodium and
potassium balance, stimulate the storage of glucose and affect or supplement
the production of sex hormones. The medulla or inner layer produces
adrenaline, a powerful vasoconstrictor. Adrenaline raises vessels and raised
the blood sugar by increasing the output of sugar from the liver. The amount
of adrenaline secreted is increased considerably by excitement, fear, or anger,
which has caused the adrenals sometimes to be referred to as the glands of
fright and fight.

TheGonadsorSexGlands
These glands are naturally different in men and women because they serve
different, though, in many respects, complementary functions. In the female
the gonads are the ovaries and in the male the testes. Female sex hormones
are oestrogen and progesterone. The male sex hormone is testosterone,
though each sex produces a small quantity of the opposite hormone. The
female hormones are responsible for developing the rounded, feminine figure,
breast growth, pubic and auxiliary hair and all the normal manifestations of
femininity and reproduction. Male hormone is responsible for voice changes,
increased muscle mass, development of hair on the body and face and the
usual development of manliness.

Pancreas
The endocrine part of the pancreas consists of clumps of cells called islets of
Langerhans that secrete insulin. Insulin regulates the sugar level in the blood
and the conversion of sugar into heat and energy. Too little insulin results in a
disease known as diabetes mellitus. This disease is divided into one form,
juvenile onset, which occurs before the age of 25, and another form that
begins in maturity. It is a very common disease. It is known that some half
million people in the United Kingdom suffer from it sufficiently badly to need
treatment but is has been estimated that there are many more people in
whom the disease exists at a sub-treatment level.

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RelatedReferences
The following references provide additional information on this topic:
HODGSON, S. V. et al. (2014) Endocrine System. In A Practical Guide to
Human Cancer Genetics (pp. 31-46). Springer London.
LANGDON-BROWN, W. (2014) The integration of the endocrine system.
Cambridge University Press.

PageReference
If you quote information from this page in your work then the reference for
this page is:
MACKENZIE, B. (2001) Physiology - Endocrine System [WWW] Available
from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/physiole.htm [Accessed 24/10/2016]

RelatedPages
The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic:

Articles on Anatomy & Physiology

Books on Physiology
Cardiovascular System
Digestive System
Endocrine System
Muscular System
Neurological System
Respiratory System
Skeletal System

AdditionalSourcesofInformation
For further information on this topic see the following:
BEASHEL, P. and TAYLOR, J. (1996) Advanced Studies in Physical
Education and Sport. UK: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
BEASHEL, P. and TAYLOR, J. (1997) The World of Sport Examined. UK:
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
BIZLEY, K. (1994) Examining Physical Education. Oxford; Heinemann
Educational Publishers
DAVIS, B. et al. (2000) Physical Education and the Study of Sport. UK:
Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
GALLIGAN, F. et al. (2000) Advanced PE for Edexcel. Oxford;
Heinemann Educational Publishers
McARDLE, W. et al. (2000) Essentials of Exercise Physiology. 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
TORTORA, G and ANAGNOSTAKOS, N. (1990) Principles of Anatomy and
Physiology. 6th ed. USA; Harper Collins Publishers
STONE, R. and STONE, J. (1997) Atlas of Skeletal Muscles. 2nd Ed.
USA; The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.
BLAKEY, P. (1992) The Muscle Book. UK; Bibiotek Books Ltd.

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