MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Endocrine glands

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Endocrine glands

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Illustrations Definition	Information

Illustrations

Endocrine glands

Brain-thyroid link

Definition Return to top

Endocrine glands produce and secrete hormones into the blood or lymph systems. These glands include the thyroid, parathyroid, hypothalamus, pineal, pituitary, adrenal, islands of Langerhans in the pancreas, and the gonads (testes and ovaries). The effects of these hormones may affect one organ or tissue, or the entire body.

Information Return to top

There are many disorders that can result when too few hormones are secreted (hyposecretion) or too many are secreted (hypersecretion). Here is a partial list of disorders that may result when a particular gland does not produce the right amount of hormones.

Thyroid:

Parathyroid:

tetany
renal calculi
excessive loss of minerals from bone

Adrenal:

Pituitary:

Testes and ovaries:

lack of sex development (ambiguous genitalia)

Pancreas:

Update Date: 10/15/2003

Updated by: A.D.A.M. editorial.

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