Curtis Harwell Discusses What The Endocrine System Does and How it Works

The endocrine system controls the way your body functions. It produces hormones that travel to all parts of your body to maintain your tissues and organs. Here are a few of the areas governed by the endocrine system:

• Reproduction
• Responses to stress and injury
• Growth and sexual development
• Body energy levels
• Internal balance of body systems
• Bone and muscle strength
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• Adrenal glands - influence the way your body uses energy, they also release a hormone called adrenaline when you are under stress
• Hypothalamus - part of your brain that controls hormone production by releasing different chemicals to the pituitary gland
• Ovaries - produce estrogen and progesterone in women, and also release egg cells
• Pancreas - releases the insulin your body needs to metabolize sugar; problems with the pancreas can lead to diabetes
• Parathyroid - located behind the thyroid gland, they are essential for proper bone development
• Pineal gland - connects the endocrine system with the nervous system; produces several important hormones, including melatonin, important to sleep/wake cycles and sexual development
• Pituitary gland – likely the most important gland in your body, it is crucial to growth, mental development and reproduction; influences or controls the rest of your endocrine system
• Testes - produce the hormone testosterone; in men, testosterone maintains sperm production and bone mass
• Thymus - crucial to normal immune function in childhood; once a child reaches puberty, its tissue is replaced by fat
• Thyroid gland – located in the front of your neck, it releases hormones that control your metabolism and govern the way your body uses energy