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Endocrine System
11th Grade Health
Definition
 The body system that consists of ductless glands that produce hormones
General Purpose
 Control various cell activities
 Production of hormones
Structure & Functions
 Hormones – chemical messengers that regulate body cell activities
 Pituitary gland – the master gland; pea-sized, found in brain; controls all other glands
 Adrenal glands – produce adrenaline; increased body activity during emergencies; 2
glands located on the top of the kidneys; (“fight or flight”)
 Thyroid gland – controls metabolism; rate at which food is used to produce energy;
located in the front of the neck below voice box
 Parathyroid glands – regulation of calcium and phosphorus balance; located on the
back lobes of the thyroid gland
 Gonads – sex glands; procreation
 Ovaries – (female) produce estrogen & progesterone; storage place for eggs
 Testes – (male) produce testosterone as well as sperm
 Pancreas – largest gland in endocrine system; produces insulin & glucagons;
regulation sugar metabolism
 Insulin – hormone that decreases blood sugar levels
General Care
 6-8 hours of sleep a night
 Proper diet
 Exercise – resistance training and cardiovascular
 Healthy management of stress
Endocrine System
11th Grade Health
Problems – Diseases/Disorders
 Hyperactive glands – gland produces too much of its hormone
 Hypoactive gland – gland produces too little of its hormone
 Thyroid gland:
 Goiter – enlargement of the thyroid gland
 Thyroid cancer – most tumors are benign, but goiter could be a precursor
 Hyperthyroidism – over activity of body metabolism
 Hypothyroidism – under activity of body metabolism
 Parathyroid glands
 Hyper – weakens bones & produces kidney stones
 Hypo – decrease of calcium in blood, increase phosphorous: muscle cramps, tremors
& convulsions.
 Adrenal glands
Tumors that cause hyper activity (release of adrenaline)
 Pancreas
Diabetes – when blood sugar levels run high
 Type I (Insulin Deficiency) –occurs during childhood (pancreas doesn’t produce
insulin); auto-immune disorder (when the body’s immune system turns on
itself!)
 Type II (Insulin Resistant) – (when the cells of the body resist the impact of insulin
because the cells are full); occurs later in life
 Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar due to overdose of insulin, missed meals
& extreme exercise;
 Hyperglycemia - high blood sugar due to low levels of insulin,
eating/drinking too much & uncontrolled stress
First Aid
Diabetes
Hyper - too much sugar: Signs - fruity odor from mouth/nausea-vomiting, thirsty and
loss of consciousness. Assistance - Needs insulin – may have a diabetic kit.
Hypo – too little sugar: Signs - Lack of coordination, drowsiness, headache, dizzy, double
vision, and convulsion/unconsciousness. Assistance – Needs Sugar: glucose tabs/OJ/Soda
Relation to Other Systems
 Reproductive – initiation of sex hormones to mature the body for procreation
 Digestive – secretes digestive enzymes; helps regulate body metabolism
 Circulatory – hormones travel through vascular system
 Nervous – the hypothalamus is the connection between the nervous & endocrine (work
horse for the nervous)