1. By the end of this presentation, you will know:
The types of hormones in the body
How the endocrine and nervous systems work together
The major endocrine tissues in the body, the hormones they secrete, and the functions of the hormones

2. The nervous and endocrine systems together make up the body’s communication network
The nervous system handles things that need fast action, in fractions of a second.
The endocrine system works over minutes, hours, even years.
What are some processes in your body that take place over several hours’ time? Over several years’ time?

3. The nervous and endocrine systems work together and share some characteristics
Both systems:
Release chemical messengers that bind to receptor proteins on or in target cells
Use some of the same chemical messengers. These compounds act as neurotransmitters in the nervous system and as hormones in the endocrine system.
Contribute to feedback loops
Are used by the body to communicate between cells
What kind of feedback mechanisms can you think of that affect the nervous system?

4. The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system
The hypothalamus secretes hormones that control the production of other hormones.
The hypothalamus then sends its signals to the pituitary gland.
hypothalamus
pituitary
What role does the hypothalamus play in the brain, as part of the nervous system?

5. The pituitary, just below the hypothalamus, has two parts: anterior and posterior
The anterior pituitary produces many hormones.
Anterior pituitary hormones stimulate endocrine cells to make other hormones.
What organ does MSH affect? What effect do you think it has?

6. The anterior pituitary produces many important hormones
FUNCTION
Growth hormone (GH)
Targets bone, muscle, and soft-tissue cells; stimulates cells to grow and divide
Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)
Stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin
Prolactin
Induces milk production in the breasts after childbirth
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
Stimulates the adrenal glands to produce hormones
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
Triggers the release of an egg from the ovary (ovulation)
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
Stimulates the thyroid gland to produce hormones

7. HORMONES OF THE POSTERIOR PITUITARY
The posterior pituitary is a vehicle for hormones produced by the hypothalamus
Hormones travel along axons that extend from the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary, where they are secreted into the bloodstream.
HORMONES OF THE POSTERIOR PITUITARY
HORMONE
FUNCTION
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
Stimulates kidneys to retain or return water to the bloodstream
Oxytocin
Stimulates contraction of the uterus during childbirth
If you just drank a big glass of water, what would be the response of your hypothalamus?

8. Your butterfly-shaped thyroid gland sits at the anterior of your throat
Thyroid hormones control metabolism, the rate at which your body uses oxygen and energy.
Thyroid gland

9. Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys
The adrenal glands have two parts that produce separate hormones:
Adrenal cortex
Medulla
Adrenal gland
Kidney

10. The adrenal cortex secretes hormones that have a variety of roles in the body
FUNCTION
Aldosterone
Regulates ion concentrations in the bloodstream
Sex steroids (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone)
Affect secondary sex characteristics such as breast development and facial hair
Cortisol
Affects metabolism and storage of nutrients when the body is under stress
What body processes do you know of in which ions are important? What stimulus to the hypothalamus do you think would start it sending signals to release aldosterone?

11. The adrenal medulla gives you an adrenaline rush
The fight or flight hormones epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline) and norepinephrine act much more quickly than most hormones.
What are the signs that your body is flooding with adrenaline?

12. Your pancreas secretes two hormones that together regulate blood sugar
Insulin stimulates cells throughout your body to take up glucose.
Glucagon kicks in when your blood sugar is low, and it stimulates cells to release glucose.
pancreas

13. Gonads produce and secrete sex hormones
Many of the same hormones are present in men and women, but in different amounts.
The ovaries produce mostly estrogen and progesterone in regular cycles.
The testes produce androgens. The main androgen is testosterone.
ovaries
testes