ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
endo
crine
Welcome!!!
Itroduction
[Definition: The glands inside your body that releases hormones]
The
endocrine system
involves mood, growth and development, tissue function, metabolism and more. The endocrine system is in charge of body processes that happen slowly, such as cell growth.
What is the Endocrine System?
The whole Endocrine System is made up of just glands and hormones. Many different hormones travels through the bloodstream. Hormone levels can be changed by tons of stress, infection, and changes in the balance of fluid and minerals in the blood.
Endocrine glands
release more than 20 major hormones directly into the bloodstream where they can be transported to cells in other parts of the body.
One of the things that make up the system is the pancreas, even though it is also a part of the digestive system because it also produces and releases digestive enzymes. Although the endocrine glands are the body's main hormone producers, some non-endocrine organs - such as the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and skin- also produce and release hormones.
What does the Endocrine System do?
Once a hormone is realeased, it travels from the endocrine gland through the bloodstream to the cells that were made to receive its message. These cells are called
target cells
. Along the way to the target cells, special proteins bind to some of the hormones. The special proteins act as carriers that control the amount of hormone that is available to interact with and affect the target cells. When the hormone reaches its target cell, it locks onto the cell's specific cell or group and these groups traveled from the chemical to the inner workings of the cell.
Things That Can Go Wrong With the Endocrine System
Too much or too little of any hormone can be harmful to the body. For example, if a gland produces too much growth hormone, a child may grow really tall. If it produces too little, a child may be abnormally short.
By: Christina Thor
