The endocrine system is one of the body’s main systems for
communicating, controlling and coordinating the body’s
work. It works with the nervous system, reproductive system,
kidneys, gut, liver and fat to help maintain and control the
following:
• body energy levels
• reproduction
• growth and development
• internal balance of body systems, called homeostasis
• responses to surroundings, stress, and injury
The endocrine system accomplishes these tasks via a
network of glands and organs that produce, store, and
secrete certain hormones. Hormones are special chemicals
that move into body fluid after they are made by one cell or
a group of cells. Hormones cause an effect on other cells or
tissues of the body.
Endocrine glands make hormones that are used inside the
body. Other glands make substances like saliva, reach the
outside of the body. Endocrine glands and endocrine-
related organs are like factories. They produce and store
hormones and release them as needed. When the body
needs these substances, the bloodstream carries the
hormones to specific targets. These targets may be organs,
tissues, or cells. To function normally, the body needs
glands that work correctly, a blood supply that works well to
move hormones through the body to their target points,
receptor places on the target cells for the hormones to do
their work, and a system for controlling how hormones are
produced and used.
What could go wrong? Endocrine disorders happen when
one or more of the endocrine systems in your body are not
working well. Hormones may be released in amounts that
are too great or too small for the body to work normally.
There may not be enough receptors, or binding sites, for
the hormones so that they can direct the work that needs to
be done. There could be a problem with the system
regulating the hormones in the blood stream, or the body
may have difficulty controlling hormone levels because of
problems clearing hormones from the blood. For example, a
person's liver or kidneys may not be working well and this
might keep too high a hormone level in the bloodstream.
Everyone's body undergoes changes, some natural and
some not, that can affect the way the endocrine system
works. Some of the factors that affect endocrine organs
include aging, illness, stress, the environment, and genetics.
Aging
Despite age-related changes, the endocrine system
functions well in most older people. However, some changes
do occur because of normal damage to cells during the
aging process and genetically programmed cellular
changes. These changes may alter the following:
For example, increasing age is thought to be related to the
development of Type 2 diabetes. With aging, the target cell
response time becomes slower, especially in people who
might be at risk for this disorder.
The signs and symptoms of endocrine disorders affect
many body systems. In elderly persons, they are frequently
subtle and may be harder to detect than in younger
persons. At times, these signs are incorrectly linked with
other causes, such as the changes of normal aging, other
medical disorders or conditions, or drug therapy.
The aging process affects nearly every gland. For example,
the hypothalamus is responsible for releasing hormones
that stimulate the pituitary gland. During aging, there is
either impaired secretion of some hypothalamic hormones
or impaired pituitary response. These changes appear to
influence the endocrine system's ability to respond to the
body's internal environment. As a result, the body cannot
not respond as well either to internal or external stresses.
With increasing age, the pituitary gland can become smaller
and more fibrous and may not work as well. For example,
production of growth hormone may decrease. This may lead
to problems such as decreased lean muscle, decreased
heart function, and osteoporosis.
Aging can affect a woman's ovaries. These organs
eventually exhibit the most common endocrine change
related to aging: menopause. In menopause, the ovaries
stop responding to FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary.
Ovarian hormone production of estrogen and progesterone
slows down and then stops. Eventually a woman stops
having her periods altogether.
Illness
Illness may affect endocrine function in several ways. Acute
or chronic conditions may change endocrine functions.
Chronic/Acute Conditions
Hormones are cleared from blood during their circulation to
the target tissues. The liver and kidneys are primarily
responsible for clearing hormones. Several clearance
processes become altered or slowed in individuals who
have chronic heart, liver, or kidney disorders. Acute
physical or mental stressors can trigger a preprogrammed
stress response. The stress response is complex and can
influence heart, kidney, liver, and endocrine system function.
Endocrine Pathologies
Endocrine pathologies can result from the following:
In general, endocrine pathologies create either
hyposecretion (underproduction) or hypersecretion
(overproduction) of hormones. The underlying problem may
be the endocrine gland itself or a source outside the gland.
Stress
Many factors can start the stress response, but physical
stressors are most important. In order for the body to
respond to, and cope with, physical stress, the adrenal
glands make more cortisol. If the adrenal glands do not
respond, this can be a life-threatening problem. Some
medically important factors causing a stress response are
as follows:
Other types of stress include emotional, social, or economic,
but these do not require the body to produce high levels of
cortisol in order to survive the stress.
External Factors
An environmental endocrine disruptor (EED) is a substance
outside of the body that may cause adverse effects to
normal function of the endocrine system. Some EEDs mimic
natural hormone binding at the target cell receptor. These
substances start the same processes between body cells
that the natural hormone would start. EEDs of this type are
referred to as hormone agonists. Other EEDs block cellular
events associated with hormone binding. These EEDs are
called hormone antagonists. Still other EEDs can directly
interfere with the production, storage, release, transport,
clearance, binding, or elimination of endogenous hormones
in the body. This can greatly affect the function of certain
body systems.
There are currently over 84,000 commercial synthetic
chemical substances in use around the world. At least
30,000 have been introduced into the U.S. environment
since 1979. We do not know the extent to which they can
interfere with the endocrine system. Based on our
knowledge of the effects of certain synthetic chemicals,
such as DDT, diethylstilbestrol and PCBs, and the
increasing evidence that reproductive function in wildlife and
humans is changing, scientists are now examining a broad
range of chemical effects.
EEDs can affect people and animals in many ways:
Genetics
Portions of your endocrine system can be affected by
genes. Genes are units of hereditary information passed
from parent to child. Genes contain the instructions for the
production of proteins, which are some of the essential
components of the body. Genes are contained in
chromosomes. The normal number of chromosomes is 46
(23 pairs).
Sometimes extra, missing, altered, or damaged
chromosomes can result in diseases or conditions that
affect hormone production or function. The 23rd pair, for
example, is the sex chromosome pair. A mother and father
each contributes a sex chromosome to the child. Girls have
two X chromosomes (one from the mother and one from the
father), while boys have one X (from mother) and one Y
(from father) chromosome. Sometimes, however, a
chromosome or piece of a chromosome may be missing. In
Turner syndrome, only one normal X chromosome is
present and this can cause poor growth. In another
example, a child with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) may be
missing all or part of chromosome 15, which also affects
growth, metabolism, and puberty.
Your genes also may place you at increased risk for certain
diseases, such as breast cancer. Taking estrogen can
cause breast tissue to grow faster. Cancer usually appears
in fast-growing tissue. This is one of the ways that scientists
believe that taking estrogen for symptoms of menopause
may be related to developing breast cancer. Another idea is
that breast tissue breaks down estrogen into chemicals that
can bind to DNA (genetic material) and damage it. Damage
to DNA is a common cause of cancer. At this time, it is not
known exactly why estrogen might cause breast cancer or
what role it does play in breast cancer growth.
Cycles of Hormone Release
Time appears to affect the release of certain hormones.
Some hormones have a typical cycling pattern of release.
This pattern often fits with daily body rhythms or the sleep-
wake cycle.
• Cortisol builds up early in the day, decreases toward
evening, rises again toward the end of sleep, and peaks
during the morning hours.
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) peaks during
sleep and reaches its low point three hours after an
individual awakens.
• Levels of growth hormone (GH) are high 90 minutes
after sleep begins. GH typically increases during the first 2
hours of deep sleep. It also increases if a person is
hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), starving, exercising, excited
or is a victim of severe injury.
• There is a very definite rise-and-fall pattern to both
estrogen and progesterone activity during a woman's
menstrual cycle, which lasts an average of 28 days.
communicating, controlling and coordinating the body’s
work. It works with the nervous system, reproductive system,
kidneys, gut, liver and fat to help maintain and control the
following:
• body energy levels
• reproduction
• growth and development
• internal balance of body systems, called homeostasis
• responses to surroundings, stress, and injury
The endocrine system accomplishes these tasks via a
network of glands and organs that produce, store, and
secrete certain hormones. Hormones are special chemicals
that move into body fluid after they are made by one cell or
a group of cells. Hormones cause an effect on other cells or
tissues of the body.
Endocrine glands make hormones that are used inside the
body. Other glands make substances like saliva, reach the
outside of the body. Endocrine glands and endocrine-
related organs are like factories. They produce and store
hormones and release them as needed. When the body
needs these substances, the bloodstream carries the
hormones to specific targets. These targets may be organs,
tissues, or cells. To function normally, the body needs
glands that work correctly, a blood supply that works well to
move hormones through the body to their target points,
receptor places on the target cells for the hormones to do
their work, and a system for controlling how hormones are
produced and used.
What could go wrong? Endocrine disorders happen when
one or more of the endocrine systems in your body are not
working well. Hormones may be released in amounts that
are too great or too small for the body to work normally.
There may not be enough receptors, or binding sites, for
the hormones so that they can direct the work that needs to
be done. There could be a problem with the system
regulating the hormones in the blood stream, or the body
may have difficulty controlling hormone levels because of
problems clearing hormones from the blood. For example, a
person's liver or kidneys may not be working well and this
might keep too high a hormone level in the bloodstream.
Everyone's body undergoes changes, some natural and
some not, that can affect the way the endocrine system
works. Some of the factors that affect endocrine organs
include aging, illness, stress, the environment, and genetics.
Aging
Despite age-related changes, the endocrine system
functions well in most older people. However, some changes
do occur because of normal damage to cells during the
aging process and genetically programmed cellular
changes. These changes may alter the following:
- hormone production and secretion
- hormone metabolism (how quickly excess hormones
are broken down and leave the body, for example,
through urination) - hormone levels circulating in blood
- biological activities
- target cell or target tissue response to hormones
- rhythms in the body, such as the menstrual cycle
For example, increasing age is thought to be related to the
development of Type 2 diabetes. With aging, the target cell
response time becomes slower, especially in people who
might be at risk for this disorder.
The signs and symptoms of endocrine disorders affect
many body systems. In elderly persons, they are frequently
subtle and may be harder to detect than in younger
persons. At times, these signs are incorrectly linked with
other causes, such as the changes of normal aging, other
medical disorders or conditions, or drug therapy.
The aging process affects nearly every gland. For example,
the hypothalamus is responsible for releasing hormones
that stimulate the pituitary gland. During aging, there is
either impaired secretion of some hypothalamic hormones
or impaired pituitary response. These changes appear to
influence the endocrine system's ability to respond to the
body's internal environment. As a result, the body cannot
not respond as well either to internal or external stresses.
With increasing age, the pituitary gland can become smaller
and more fibrous and may not work as well. For example,
production of growth hormone may decrease. This may lead
to problems such as decreased lean muscle, decreased
heart function, and osteoporosis.
Aging can affect a woman's ovaries. These organs
eventually exhibit the most common endocrine change
related to aging: menopause. In menopause, the ovaries
stop responding to FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary.
Ovarian hormone production of estrogen and progesterone
slows down and then stops. Eventually a woman stops
having her periods altogether.
Illness
Illness may affect endocrine function in several ways. Acute
or chronic conditions may change endocrine functions.
Chronic/Acute Conditions
Hormones are cleared from blood during their circulation to
the target tissues. The liver and kidneys are primarily
responsible for clearing hormones. Several clearance
processes become altered or slowed in individuals who
have chronic heart, liver, or kidney disorders. Acute
physical or mental stressors can trigger a preprogrammed
stress response. The stress response is complex and can
influence heart, kidney, liver, and endocrine system function.
Endocrine Pathologies
Endocrine pathologies can result from the following:
- congenital (birth) or genetic defects (see section on
Genetics below) - surgery
- traumatic injuries
- cancerous and non-cancerous tumors
- infection
- autoimmune destruction (the immune system turns
against the body's own organs and causes damage)
In general, endocrine pathologies create either
hyposecretion (underproduction) or hypersecretion
(overproduction) of hormones. The underlying problem may
be the endocrine gland itself or a source outside the gland.
Stress
Many factors can start the stress response, but physical
stressors are most important. In order for the body to
respond to, and cope with, physical stress, the adrenal
glands make more cortisol. If the adrenal glands do not
respond, this can be a life-threatening problem. Some
medically important factors causing a stress response are
as follows:
- trauma (severe injury) of any type
- severe illness or infection
- intense heat or cold
- surgical procedures
- serious diseases
- allergic reactions
Other types of stress include emotional, social, or economic,
but these do not require the body to produce high levels of
cortisol in order to survive the stress.
External Factors
An environmental endocrine disruptor (EED) is a substance
outside of the body that may cause adverse effects to
normal function of the endocrine system. Some EEDs mimic
natural hormone binding at the target cell receptor. These
substances start the same processes between body cells
that the natural hormone would start. EEDs of this type are
referred to as hormone agonists. Other EEDs block cellular
events associated with hormone binding. These EEDs are
called hormone antagonists. Still other EEDs can directly
interfere with the production, storage, release, transport,
clearance, binding, or elimination of endogenous hormones
in the body. This can greatly affect the function of certain
body systems.
There are currently over 84,000 commercial synthetic
chemical substances in use around the world. At least
30,000 have been introduced into the U.S. environment
since 1979. We do not know the extent to which they can
interfere with the endocrine system. Based on our
knowledge of the effects of certain synthetic chemicals,
such as DDT, diethylstilbestrol and PCBs, and the
increasing evidence that reproductive function in wildlife and
humans is changing, scientists are now examining a broad
range of chemical effects.
EEDs can affect people and animals in many ways:
- disrupted sexual development
- decreased fertility
- birth defects
- decreased hatching in animals
- reduced immune response
- neurological and behavioral changes, including
reduced stress tolerance
Genetics
Portions of your endocrine system can be affected by
genes. Genes are units of hereditary information passed
from parent to child. Genes contain the instructions for the
production of proteins, which are some of the essential
components of the body. Genes are contained in
chromosomes. The normal number of chromosomes is 46
(23 pairs).
Sometimes extra, missing, altered, or damaged
chromosomes can result in diseases or conditions that
affect hormone production or function. The 23rd pair, for
example, is the sex chromosome pair. A mother and father
each contributes a sex chromosome to the child. Girls have
two X chromosomes (one from the mother and one from the
father), while boys have one X (from mother) and one Y
(from father) chromosome. Sometimes, however, a
chromosome or piece of a chromosome may be missing. In
Turner syndrome, only one normal X chromosome is
present and this can cause poor growth. In another
example, a child with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) may be
missing all or part of chromosome 15, which also affects
growth, metabolism, and puberty.
Your genes also may place you at increased risk for certain
diseases, such as breast cancer. Taking estrogen can
cause breast tissue to grow faster. Cancer usually appears
in fast-growing tissue. This is one of the ways that scientists
believe that taking estrogen for symptoms of menopause
may be related to developing breast cancer. Another idea is
that breast tissue breaks down estrogen into chemicals that
can bind to DNA (genetic material) and damage it. Damage
to DNA is a common cause of cancer. At this time, it is not
known exactly why estrogen might cause breast cancer or
what role it does play in breast cancer growth.
Cycles of Hormone Release
Time appears to affect the release of certain hormones.
Some hormones have a typical cycling pattern of release.
This pattern often fits with daily body rhythms or the sleep-
wake cycle.
• Cortisol builds up early in the day, decreases toward
evening, rises again toward the end of sleep, and peaks
during the morning hours.
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) peaks during
sleep and reaches its low point three hours after an
individual awakens.
• Levels of growth hormone (GH) are high 90 minutes
after sleep begins. GH typically increases during the first 2
hours of deep sleep. It also increases if a person is
hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), starving, exercising, excited
or is a victim of severe injury.
• There is a very definite rise-and-fall pattern to both
estrogen and progesterone activity during a woman's
menstrual cycle, which lasts an average of 28 days.
 |
Information from: http://www.hormone.org/endo101/ www.ivy-rose.co.uk/Topics/Endocrine_Conditions.htm http://www.crystalinks.com/chakras.html |
The Link
The endocrine system is the link between our emotions and
our physical bodies. This relationship is circular: Our
emotions have a powerful physical effect on our body via
shifting neurochemical levels, and our neurochemical
balance has a powerful effect on our emotions.
An even greater role for the endocrine system is not only
being the link between body and mind, but also the link with
our soul - via the chakras.
Click here to go to the Chakra Chart
The endocrine system is the link between our emotions and
our physical bodies. This relationship is circular: Our
emotions have a powerful physical effect on our body via
shifting neurochemical levels, and our neurochemical
balance has a powerful effect on our emotions.
An even greater role for the endocrine system is not only
being the link between body and mind, but also the link with
our soul - via the chakras.
Click here to go to the Chakra Chart
The Crown Chakra is said to be the chakra of
consciousness, the master chakra that controls all the
others. Its role would be very similar to that of the pituitary
gland, which secretes hormones to control the rest of the
endocrine system, and also connects to the central nervous
system via the hypothalamus. The thalamus is thought to
have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness.
The Third Eye Chakra is linked to the pineal gland. This
chakra is of time and awareness and of light. The pineal
gland is a light sensitive gland, that produces the hormone
melatonin, which regulates the instincts of going to sleep
and awakening. It also produces trace amounts of the
psychedelic chemical dimethyltryptamine.
(Note: some argue that the pineal and pituitary glands
should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and
Third Eye chakras!)
The Throat Chakra is said to be related to communication
and growth, growth being a form of expression. This chakra
is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat,
and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth
and maturation.
The Heart Chakra is related to love, equilibrium, and
well-being. It is related to the thymus, located in the chest.
This organ is part of the immune system, as well as being
part of the endocrine system. It produces T cells responsible
for fighting off disease, and is adversely affected by stress.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is related to energy, assimilation
and digestion, and is said to correspond to the roles played
by the pancreas and the outer adrenal glands, the adrenal
cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the
conversion of food matter into energy for the body.
The Sacral Chakra is located in the groin, and is related to
emotion, sexuality and creativity. This chakra is said to
correspond to the testes or the ovaries, that produce the
various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle,
which can cause dramatic mood swings.
The Base or Root Chakra is related to security, survival
and also to basic human potentiality. It is said the kundalini
lies coiled here, ready to uncoil and bring man to his highest
spiritual potential in the Crown Chakra. This center is
located in the region between the genitals and the anus.
Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to
relate to the inner adrenal glands, the adrenal medulla,
responsible for the fight and flight response when survival is
under threat.
consciousness, the master chakra that controls all the
others. Its role would be very similar to that of the pituitary
gland, which secretes hormones to control the rest of the
endocrine system, and also connects to the central nervous
system via the hypothalamus. The thalamus is thought to
have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness.
The Third Eye Chakra is linked to the pineal gland. This
chakra is of time and awareness and of light. The pineal
gland is a light sensitive gland, that produces the hormone
melatonin, which regulates the instincts of going to sleep
and awakening. It also produces trace amounts of the
psychedelic chemical dimethyltryptamine.
(Note: some argue that the pineal and pituitary glands
should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and
Third Eye chakras!)
The Throat Chakra is said to be related to communication
and growth, growth being a form of expression. This chakra
is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat,
and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth
and maturation.
The Heart Chakra is related to love, equilibrium, and
well-being. It is related to the thymus, located in the chest.
This organ is part of the immune system, as well as being
part of the endocrine system. It produces T cells responsible
for fighting off disease, and is adversely affected by stress.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is related to energy, assimilation
and digestion, and is said to correspond to the roles played
by the pancreas and the outer adrenal glands, the adrenal
cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the
conversion of food matter into energy for the body.
The Sacral Chakra is located in the groin, and is related to
emotion, sexuality and creativity. This chakra is said to
correspond to the testes or the ovaries, that produce the
various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle,
which can cause dramatic mood swings.
The Base or Root Chakra is related to security, survival
and also to basic human potentiality. It is said the kundalini
lies coiled here, ready to uncoil and bring man to his highest
spiritual potential in the Crown Chakra. This center is
located in the region between the genitals and the anus.
Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to
relate to the inner adrenal glands, the adrenal medulla,
responsible for the fight and flight response when survival is
under threat.
 |
 |
 |
| The Endocrine System |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |