Endocrine glands.docVIP

Endocrine glands Endocrine glands?are glands of the?endocrine system?that secrete their products,?hormones, directly into theblood?rather than through a duct. The main endocrine glands include the?pituitary gland,?pancreas,?ovaries,testes,?thyroid gland, and?adrenal glands. The?hypothalamus?is a?neuroendocrine?organ. Other?organs?which are not so well known for their endocrine activity include the?stomach, which produces such hormones as?ghrelin. Local chemical messengers, not generally considered part of the endocrine system, include?autocrines, which act on the cells that secrete them, and?paracrines, which act on a different cell type nearby. Contents ?[hide] 1?Chemistry 2?Target cell specificity 3?Interaction of hormones at target cells 4?Control of hormone release 5?Major endocrine organs 5.1?Pituitary gland (hypophysis) 5.2?Thyroid gland 5.3?Parathyroid glands 5.4?Pancreas 5.5?Gonads 5.6?Pineal gland 6?Other hormone-producing structures 7?Developmental aspects of the endocrine system 8?References [edit]Chemistry Most hormones are steroid- or?amino acid-based.[citation needed]?Hormones?alter cell activity by stimulating or inhibiting characteristic cellular processes of their target cells. Cell responses to hormone stimulation may involve changes in membrane permeability; enzyme synthesis, activation, or inhibition; secretory activity; gene activation; and mitosis. Second-messenger mechanisms?employing intracellular messengers and transduced by?G proteins?are a common means by which?amino acid–based hormones interact with their target cells. In the cyclic AMP system, the hormone binds to a plasma membrane receptor that couples to a G protein. When the G protein is activated it, in turn, couples to adenylate cyclase, which catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic AMP from ATP. Cyclic AMP initiates reactions that activate protein kinases and other enzymes, leading to cellular response. The PIP-calcium signal mechanism, involving phosphatidyl inositol, is another imp