Similar to plants, certain special chemicals called hormones regulate
the various activities of our body. Hormones are chemical messengers,
which help in controlling and coordinating the activities of the body.
They are produced by endocrine glands. The hormone in other words acts
as a switch or a trigger for a certain action to take place.
The endocrine glands are under the control of the nervous system.
The endocrine system of human beings consists of the following glands:
1. Hypothalamus And Pituitary Gland
2. The Pineal Gland
3. The Thyroid Gland
4. The Parathyroid Glands
5. The Adrenal Glands
6. Islets Of Langerhans (Pancreas)
7. Ovaries (Female)
8. Testes (Male)
| Sl. No. | Endocrine Glands | Location | Hormone | Action |
| 1 | Pituitary (Master Gland) | Base of fore brain, pea shaped | Growth Hormone | Regulates the growth of bone and tissue. |
| Anti-diuretic hormone | Controls amount of water reabsorbed by the kidney | |||
| Adreno corticotrophic hormone | Defending the body against physiological stress eg. exposure to cold Follicle stimulating hormone Stimulates ovary to produce female hormone | |||
| Thyroid stimulating hormone | Stimulates thyroid to produce its hormone | |||
| 2 | Thyroid | Neck of lower extremity of larynx, butterfly shaped | Thyroxine | Regulates rate of growth and metabolism. Too little over weight and sluggishness. Too much- thinning and over activity. |
| 3 | Adrenal | A Pair of cap shaped organs above each kidney | Cortisone | Aids in conversion of proteins to sugar, cortex of this gland produces the hormone. |
| 4 | Pancreas | It’s a double gland | Insulin | Regulates Sugar metabolism. Too little insulin leads to high sugar level in blood and weakness (a condition called diabetes). |
| 5 | Ovary | Lie on the lateral walls of the pelvis | Estrogen | Development of Secondary sexual characters. Eg. Development of breasts in female. |
| 6 | Testis | In the scrotum | Testosterone | Development of many masculine features such as growth of moustaches and beard. |
