Endocrine system

• Endocrine glands:

  • pituitary gland
  • pineal gland
  • thyroid gland
  • parathyroid gland
  • adrenal gland
  • pancreatic islets
• non-steroid action of hormones uses secondary messenger with receptor proteins to have an effect on cellular function
• steroid action of hormones use steroid receptors, translation and transcription to have an effect on cellular function
• steroid action is for lipid soluble hormones such as aldosterone, cortisol and testosterone
• non- steroid action is for water soluble hormones such as insulin, angiotensin and anti-diuretics
• the endocrine system initiates a slow response for a long duration
• endocrine organs can stimulated in three ways: humeral stimulus, nervous stimulus and hormonal stimulus
• humoral stimuluses are when hormones are released as a result of altered level of a certain ion or nutrient
• nervous stimulus is when the nervous system stimulates an organ to release hormones
• hormonal stimuluses are when hormones are released by other hormones