• Endocrine glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream and are thereby distributed to target organs or tissues.
• Hormones are chemical signals that influence the metabolism of their target cells.

1. How can the nervous system be contrasted with the endocrine system?
   Answer
2. What is a chemical signal, and what type of chemical signal are hormones?
   Answer
3. How do hormones affect the metabolism of cells?
   Answer

Essential Study Partner

• Introduction
• Hormone Action
• Endocrine Glands

Art Labeling Activity

• The Endocrine System

Art Quiz

• Human Endocrine System

Animation Activity

• Peptide Hormone Action
• Mechanism of Steroid Hormone Action(English)
• Mechanism of Steroid Hormone Action(Spanish)
• Hormonal Communication

Art Quiz

• Cyclic AMP

• The hypothalamus, a part of the brain, controls the function of the pituitary gland, which consists of the anterior pituitary and the posterior pituitary.
• The anterior pituitary produces several hormones, some of which control other endocrine glands.

1. What role does the hypothalamus play in the endocrine system?
   Answer
2. What hormones are produced by the anterior pituitary?
   Answer

Essential Study Partner

• The Hypothalamus

Animation Activity

• Endocrine System Regulation

Art Quiz

• Anterior Pituitary Control by Hypothalamus

• The thyroid produces hormones that speed metabolism and another that lowers the blood calcium level. Antagonistic to this activity, parathyroid glands produce a hormone that raises the blood calcium level.

1. What hormones are produced by the thyroid gland? What is the function of each?
   Answer
2. What hormone is produced by the parathyroid gland? What is the function of this hormone? It acts antagonistically to what hormone produced by the thyroid?
   Answer

Animation Activity

• Parathyroid Hormone

• The adrenal glands produce hormones that help us respond to stress.

1. What hormones are produced by the adrenal glands?
   Answer

Reading

• Disorders of the Adrenal Cortex

• The pancreas secretes hormones that help regulate the blood glucose level.
• Diabetes mellitus occurs when cells are unable to take up glucose and it spills over into the urine.

1. What hormones are produced by the pancreas? How does each affect blood glucose?
   Answer
2. What causes the condition known as diabetes mellitus?
   Answer

Animation Activity

• Glucose Regulation

• Many other tissues, although not traditionally considered endocrine glands, secrete hormones.

1. What other body organs and tissues may function as endocrine glands?
   Answer

Case Study

• Endocrine System

• The endocrine system works with the other systems of the body to maintain homeostasis.

1. How does the endocrine system work with the other systems in the body to achieve homeostasis?
   Answer

• Systems Review Quiz
• Additional Review Quiz