The endocrine glands, in contrast to the exocrine glands (sweat glands, salivary glands), release their chemicals directly into the bloodstream rather than through a duct. Endocrine glands are part of the body’s regulatory system, and the hormones they produce help to regulate the actions of cells and tissues throughout the body. There are some glands that are only found in males (testes) or females (ovaries) 

Major Endocrine Glands

The pituitary gland

The pituitary gland, which is the size of a pea and is located deep within the skull, is a small gland. It is attached to the brain by a stalk at the base of the skull. It is divided into two parts: an anterior section that produces hormones and a posterior component that contains numerous neural connections. This gland is known as the master gland because it regulates the actions of all of the other glands in the endocrine system, including the adrenal and thyroid glands, among others. A steroid hormone, cortisol, is released by the pituitary gland, which is responsible for a variety of functions in the body, including controlling the body’s metabolism and raising blood pressure. Prolactin is another hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, which is responsible for stimulating the production of milk.

Thyroid gland 

The thyroid glands can be found in the front of the neck, just below the collarbone. It is located down in the throat, between the windpipe and the trachea. It is brownish red in color and has blood vessels running through it. It secretes hormones that are referred to as thyroid hormones as a collective term. The most prominent are T3 and T4, which have an impact on the rate at which the body burns calories.

Parathyroid glands 

Each of the four parathyroid glands is a tiny gland that is placed behind the thyroids in the neck. They have an impact on the calcium levels in the body because they produce a hormone known as Parathyroid Hormone. When the parathyroid gland generates excessive amounts of parathyroid hormones, it can have severe consequences such as brittle bones and kidney stones in some cases.

Adrenal glands 

The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys and are about the size of a walnut. These glands are responsible for the production of approximately 150 hormones that regulate various activities in the body. The most well-known of them is adrenaline, which is responsible for inducing the flight or fight response. In other words, this is a stress hormone that assists the organism in dealing with or avoiding a potentially dangerous circumstance. It accomplishes this by:

Hypothalamus

Your endocrine system is controlled by this gland, which is located in your brain. It determines when to notify other glands, like the pituitary gland, to create hormones using input from your neural system. The hypothalamus is in charge of a variety of bodily functions, including mood, appetite and thirst, sleep patterns, and sexual function.

Thymus

The thymus gland is found behind the breastbone in the chest. It produces immune cells and hence has an important function in immunity. The primary purpose of the organ is to mature T cells, also known as T lymphocytes. This is a type of white blood cell that fights infections.

The thymus also produces a variety of hormones. Thymulin and thymosin, for example, influence immune cell formation. The thymus is also responsible for the production of hormones like insulin and melatonin.

In newborns and youngsters, it is quite big. It shrinks in size after puberty and is quite tiny in older persons.

Pancreas

The pancreas is both an exocrine and an endocrine gland, and it is located just behind the stomach. It is around 6 inches in length and is rather flat. The pancreas is responsible for two key functions:

1)Making digestive enzymes

2)Producing hormones such as insulin and glucagon, among other substances.

Insulin is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas, and it is responsible for keeping blood glucose levels in the body from becoming dangerously elevated. Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are both caused by a shortage of insulin, as we are well know. The hormone glucagon is produced by beta cells in the pancreas, and it aids the body in preventing blood glucose levels from going too far below normal. Hypoglycemia is caused by a lack of glucagon. The fact that insulin becomes active when blood glucose levels are high, whereas glucagon becomes active only when blood glucose levels are low, is another significant distinction between the two hormones.

Gonads

Some glands are only found in males or only found in females. For example, the ovaries are only found in females and are positioned in the pelvic cavity of the female reproductive system. The testicles, on the other hand, are only found in males. Ovaries are responsible for the generation of oestrogen, which is essential for female reproduction and sex characteristics. Testicles are responsible for the production of testosterone, which is responsible for male sex characteristics. Aside from that, it leads to an increase in muscular mass and body hair.

The pineal gland 

The pineal gland is a small gland that sits in the space between the two halves of the brain. As a result of its position in the brain and its link with light, it has been referred to as the “third eye” throughout human history.

It is responsible for the production of a hormone known as melatonin, which has an effect on the body’s internal clock. It is also referred to as the Circadian Rhythm, and it has an impact on the body’s sleep/wake cycle. Unless a person is very sleep deprived, the effects of this medication are not immediately visible. When it comes to affecting an individual’s circadian rhythm, factors such as jet lag or working the night shift have a more obvious impact because the day and night cycle tends to coincide with the individual’s circadian rhythm. As a result, those who work at night find it difficult to fall asleep during the day and, as a result, find it difficult to stay awake for the following night.

Functions of the Endocrine System

Some of the functions of the endocrine system are as follows:

• Metabolism

• Growth and Development

• Sexual function and Reproduction

• Heart rate

• Blood pressure

• Appetite

• Sleeping and waking cycles

• Body temperature

Endocrine system hormones

Hormones are chemicals that the endocrine system utilizes to communicate with organs and tissues all across the body. They travel to their target organ or tissue, which possesses receptors that recognise and react to the hormone, once released into the bloodstream.

Some of the hormones produced by the Endocrine system are:

 CONCLUSION:-

In addition to the neurological system, the endocrine system is absolutely necessary for survival. When it comes to fundamental biological functions such as reproduction, development, salt-water balance and emergency reactions such as fight or flight, the endocrine system regulates them to an extremely fine degree throughout the lifespan