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The Endocrine System The Endocrine System is a group of special ...
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Short Description: However, at times there are disturbances in the system. and cause the development of ailments such as diabetes. Diabetes, the most common endocrine. disease ...
Content Inside: The Endocrine System The Endocrine System is a group of special organs and body tissues that produce, reserve, and secrete chemical substances known as hormones. Hormones change information and instructions from one group of cells to another. Because endocrine organs create hormones, they have a great deal of control on the body. Hormones manage the body s growth and development, control the function of many tissues, control metabolism, and support pregnancy and other reproductive organs. Endocrine organs are often called ductless glands because they do not have ducts connecting them to certain body parts. The hormones they secrete are released instantly into the bloodstream or circulatory system. Some of the body glands are known as endo-exocrine because they secrete hormones along with other substances. Most hormones circulate in the blood, coming into contact with basically all cells. A certain hormone affects only a small percentage of cells, which are called target cells. A target cell reacts to a hormone because it contains receptors for the hormone. Hormones often affect neighboring cells or have similar affects on the cell that secreted the hormone. The signal is distributed for a particular hormonal pathway. The three actions that occur are the endocrine action, the paracrine action, and the autocrine action. In the endocrine action, the hormone is distributed in blood and attaches to distant target cells. In the paracrine action, the hormone acts by diffusing from its source to target cells. In the autocrine action, the hormone acts on the same cell that produced it. The most important glands that create the human endocrine are the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pineal, and reproductive glands. The pancreas is considered one of the endocrine organs. Nearly all body cells are capable of converting and secreting hormones. The Hypothalamus located at the base of the brain is composed of several sections called nuclei, each of which controls a specific function. It regulates body temperature, blood pressure,
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