Can someone please explain the endocrine system?

Answer 1

I teach pre-Nursing Anatomy and Physiology, so I try to give my students a general overview of the body system as it relates to other physiology, and then the medical concerns they might encounter as they progress in their career path.

 

Endocrine and Nervous System are the command control systems to coordinate our 37.5 trillion cells.  Nervous system offers rapid fire but short lived signals, using neurotransmitters emitted very close to their target, that will be cleared quickly.  Endocrine Hormones are also chemical signals, but they are secreted into the bloodstream, and the signal heard in the distant cells are only effective if the cells have a receptor specific to that chemical signal. Hormone signals must be cleared from the blood stream, so the signal is slower to be received than neurotransmitters in the nervous system, and can also be much longer lived.

 

Hormonal controls are therefore complex.  Some hormones oppose each other, for example, insulin lowers blood glucose by docking in our cell's insulin receptors to get the cell to invite the glucose in from the bloodstream.  Glucagon is insulin's antagonist, and raises blood glucose by ordering liver to release glucose into blood stream, especially for the brain to be able to be supplied with constant glucose and energy (brain has no energy reserves so it desperately depends on the liver to keep blood glucose high enough to keep it going).  

 

Both hormones operate on a negative feedback loop.  This means for example, after a breakfast of Cheerios, when blood glucose rises from absorption of all those carbs, insulin is metered out by pancreas to lower blood glucose and keep it within homeostasis.  When blood glucose returns to normal, pancreas stops secreting insulin, or else blood glucose would go too low, and brain would be trouble.  

 

So blood glucose stability/homeostasis, is governed by at least these 2 antagonist hormones, both on a negative feedback loop.  Does that give us information about how important blood glucose homeostasis is to the homeostasis of the rest of the body?

 

Some hormones are antagonists, some permit others to work, some work as synergists with others, meaning together they get the job done perfectly.  Hormonal control is therefore really complicated!

 

And the major thing to remember, Hypothalamus in the brain is in control of the Pituitary Gland in brain, which is considered the master controller of other glands around the body.  So the brain is the Boss!

 

This is just a brief overview of basic principles, then there are all those acronyms!  (GH, GNRH, ADH, so many more!!)

 

Does this help you?

Answer 2

Endocrine system is a group of organs,and tissues in our body that produces biochemical compounds called hormones. These hormones enter into the blood stream and control the body activities and functions. There are two systems in the body that contr body activities. The first is the nervous system (fast component ), and endocrine system (slow component)

Answer 3

Put simply, the endocrine system is the body system that impacts the body through chemicals and hormones. Basically, the endocrine system is made up of glands that produce and secrete hormones, chemical substances produced in the body that regulate/impact the activity of cells or organs. Hormones do a variety of things. They can regulate the body's growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function.

 

This system is very important. If your endocrine system isn't healthy, you might have problems developing during puberty, getting pregnant, or managing stress. You also might gain weight easily, have weak bones, or lack energy because too much sugar stays in your blood instead of moving into your cells where it's needed for energy. 

 

This is a beief overview of the system, hope it was helpful :)

Answer 4

This is  going to be gist of an elloborate topic. The endocrine system works through harmones which are regulated and counter regulated along the hippocampal-pituitary axis which modules the endocrine system. There are system specify triggers that initiate or negate the release of harmones. The distinction here is from the exocrine system, which has its own set of stimulator or inhibitory triggers but the distinguishing factor is  that the enzymes secreted by the exocrine system predominantly work in the vicinity of the gland secreting it while harmones exert a broader set of cascades at various organ system through vascular route of harmones delivery.