BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuEndocrine glandsEndocrine glands release (secrete) hormones into the bloodstream.The endocrine glands include:Adrenal Hypothalamus HypothalamusThe hypothalamus is an area of the brain that produces hormones that control:Body temperatureHeart rateHungerMoodRelease of hormones from many glands...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas Ovaries Parathyroid Pineal Pituitary Testes TestesThe testes are 2 egg-shaped male reproductive organs located in the scrotum. They produce sperm and the male hormone, testosterone.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Thyroid No audio descriptionWith audio descriptionRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsers Information Hypersecretion is when an excess of one or more hormone is secreted from a gland. Hyposecretion is when the amount of hormones that are released is too low.There are many types of disorders that can result when too much or too little of a hormone is released.Disorders that may be associated with abnormal hormone product from a particular gland include:Adrenal:Addison disease Addison diseaseAddison disease is a disorder that causes the adrenal glands to not produce enough hormones.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Adrenogenital syndrome or adrenocortical hyperplasia Adrenogenital syndromeCongenital adrenal hyperplasia is the name given to a group of inherited disorders of the adrenal gland. Inherited means the traits are passed down ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cushing syndrome Cushing syndromeCushing syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your body has a high level of the hormone cortisol.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article PheochromocytomaPheochromocytomaPheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of adrenal gland tissue. It results in the release of too much epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that contro...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pancreas:Diabetes mellitus Diabetes mellitusDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article HypoglycemiaHypoglycemiaLow blood sugar is a condition that occurs when the body's blood sugar (glucose) decreases and is too low. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL (3. 9 mmol/L) i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Parathyroid:Low blood calcium level Tetany (abnormal cramping of muscles) Renal calculi (kidney stones) Renal calculiA kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Excessive loss of minerals from bone (osteoporosis) Pituitary:Growth hormone deficiency Growth hormone deficiencyGrowth hormone deficiency means the pituitary gland does not make enough growth hormone.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Acromegaly AcromegalyAcromegaly is a condition in which there is too much growth hormone (GH) in your body.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Gigantism GigantismGigantism is abnormal growth due to an excess of growth hormone (GH) during childhood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diabetes insipidus Diabetes insipidusDiabetes insipidus (DI) is an uncommon condition in which the kidneys are unable to prevent the excretion of water. DI is not the same as diabetes me...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cushing disease No audio descriptionWith audio descriptionRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersTestes and ovaries:Lack of sex development (unclear genitalia) Thyroid:Congenital hypothyroidism Congenital hypothyroidismNeonatal hypothyroidism is decreased thyroid hormone production in a newborn. In very rare cases, no thyroid hormone is produced. The condition is ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Myxedema MyxedemaHypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. This condition is often called underactive thyroid....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Goiter GoiterA simple goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. It is usually not a tumor or cancer.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ThyrotoxicosisThyrotoxicosisHyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. The condition is often called overactive thyroid.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesBarrett EJ. Organization of endocrine control. In: Boron WF, Boulpaep EL, eds. Medical Physiology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 47.Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, et al. Principles of endocrinology. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 1.Newell-Price JDC, Gibb FW. Endocrinology. In: Penman ID, Ralston SH, Strachan MWJ, Hobson RP, eds. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 20.AllVideoImagesTogEndocrine glands - illustration Endocrine glands release hormones (chemical messengers) into the bloodstream to be transported to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For instance, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows the body to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. The thyroid gets instructions from the pituitary to secrete hormones which determine the rate of metabolism in the body (the more hormone in the bloodstream, the faster the chemical activity; the less hormone, the slower the activity).Endocrine glandsillustrationBrain-thyroid link - illustration Although the thyroid gland releases the hormones which govern growth and metabolism, the brain (the pituitary and the hypothalamus) manages the release and the balance of the amount of hormones circulated.Brain-thyroid linkillustrationEndocrine glands - illustration Endocrine glands release hormones (chemical messengers) into the bloodstream to be transported to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For instance, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows the body to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. The thyroid gets instructions from the pituitary to secrete hormones which determine the rate of metabolism in the body (the more hormone in the bloodstream, the faster the chemical activity; the less hormone, the slower the activity).Endocrine glandsillustrationBrain-thyroid link - illustration Although the thyroid gland releases the hormones which govern growth and metabolism, the brain (the pituitary and the hypothalamus) manages the release and the balance of the amount of hormones circulated.Brain-thyroid linkillustration Tests for Endocrine glands Glucagon blood testRelated Information Hypothalamus(Special Topic)Testes(Special Topic) Review Date: 5/12/2023 Reviewed By: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. 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Endocrine glandsEndocrine glands release (secrete) hormones into the bloodstream.The endocrine glands include:Adrenal Hypothalamus HypothalamusThe hypothalamus is an area of the brain that produces hormones that control:Body temperatureHeart rateHungerMoodRelease of hormones from many glands...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas Ovaries Parathyroid Pineal Pituitary Testes TestesThe testes are 2 egg-shaped male reproductive organs located in the scrotum. They produce sperm and the male hormone, testosterone.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Thyroid No audio descriptionWith audio descriptionRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsers Information Hypersecretion is when an excess of one or more hormone is secreted from a gland. Hyposecretion is when the amount of hormones that are released is too low.There are many types of disorders that can result when too much or too little of a hormone is released.Disorders that may be associated with abnormal hormone product from a particular gland include:Adrenal:Addison disease Addison diseaseAddison disease is a disorder that causes the adrenal glands to not produce enough hormones.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Adrenogenital syndrome or adrenocortical hyperplasia Adrenogenital syndromeCongenital adrenal hyperplasia is the name given to a group of inherited disorders of the adrenal gland. Inherited means the traits are passed down ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cushing syndrome Cushing syndromeCushing syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your body has a high level of the hormone cortisol.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article PheochromocytomaPheochromocytomaPheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of adrenal gland tissue. It results in the release of too much epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that contro...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pancreas:Diabetes mellitus Diabetes mellitusDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article HypoglycemiaHypoglycemiaLow blood sugar is a condition that occurs when the body's blood sugar (glucose) decreases and is too low. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL (3. 9 mmol/L) i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Parathyroid:Low blood calcium level Tetany (abnormal cramping of muscles) Renal calculi (kidney stones) Renal calculiA kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Excessive loss of minerals from bone (osteoporosis) Pituitary:Growth hormone deficiency Growth hormone deficiencyGrowth hormone deficiency means the pituitary gland does not make enough growth hormone.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Acromegaly AcromegalyAcromegaly is a condition in which there is too much growth hormone (GH) in your body.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Gigantism GigantismGigantism is abnormal growth due to an excess of growth hormone (GH) during childhood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diabetes insipidus Diabetes insipidusDiabetes insipidus (DI) is an uncommon condition in which the kidneys are unable to prevent the excretion of water. DI is not the same as diabetes me...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cushing disease No audio descriptionWith audio descriptionRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersTestes and ovaries:Lack of sex development (unclear genitalia) Thyroid:Congenital hypothyroidism Congenital hypothyroidismNeonatal hypothyroidism is decreased thyroid hormone production in a newborn. In very rare cases, no thyroid hormone is produced. The condition is ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Myxedema MyxedemaHypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. This condition is often called underactive thyroid....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Goiter GoiterA simple goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. It is usually not a tumor or cancer.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ThyrotoxicosisThyrotoxicosisHyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. The condition is often called overactive thyroid.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesBarrett EJ. Organization of endocrine control. In: Boron WF, Boulpaep EL, eds. Medical Physiology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 47.Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, et al. Principles of endocrinology. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 1.Newell-Price JDC, Gibb FW. Endocrinology. In: Penman ID, Ralston SH, Strachan MWJ, Hobson RP, eds. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 20.