LESSON 1: Endocrine System
Subject: General Biology 2
Teacher: Sir Sonny Teaño
I. Introduction to Endocrine System
• Definition: System of glands that produce and secrete hormones.
• Hormones: Chemical messengers that instruct cells to change activities.
• Regulation: Regulates biological processes from conception to adulthood.
II. Hormones vs. Nerve Impulses
• Hormones:
o Slow-acting, longer-lived messengers.
o Travel through the bloodstream.
• Nerve Impulses:
o Fast-acting, usually short-lived.
o Travel through neurons.
III. Types of Hormones
• Steroid Hormones:
o Hydrophobic (non-polar).
o Derived from cholesterol.
• Non-Steroid Hormones (Peptide Hormones):
o Hydrophilic (polar).
o Composed of proteins.
IV. How Hormones Work
• Specificity: Hormones instruct specific cell types.
• Target Cells: Hormones bind to specific receptors on target cells.
• Mechanism:
1. Non-steroid hormones bind to receptors on the cell surface.
2. Steroid hormones travel through the blood, bind to transport proteins, and activate genes
in the target cell.
V. Feedback Mechanisms
• Regulation: Detect and adjust hormone levels in the blood.
• Positive Feedback:
o Increases hormone production.
o Example: Oxytocin during childbirth and breastfeeding.
• Negative Feedback:
o Decreases hormone production.
o Example: Insulin regulation of blood sugar.
VI. Key Hormones and Glands
• Gonads:
o Testes (Male): Testosterone (starts at age 10).
o Ovaries (Female): Estrogen and Progesterone (starts at age 8-9).
• Adrenal Gland:
o Secretes Adrenaline (Epinephrine) for fight or flight response.
• Pancreas:
o Insulin: Controls blood sugar (glucose) level.
o Glucagon: Increases blood sugar (glucose) level.
• Thyroid Gland:
o Triiodothyronine and Thyroxine: Regulate heart rate and metabolism.
o Calcitonin: Controls calcium levels.
• Pituitary Gland:
o GH (Growth Hormone): Stimulates growth.
o MSH (Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone): Regulates melanin production.
o TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): Stimulates thyroid hormone production.
o FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) & LH (Luteinizing Hormone): Controls estrogen,
progesterone, and testosterone production.
o Prolactin: Stimulates milk production.
o Oxytocin: Stimulates milk secretion and uterine contractions.
• Pineal Gland:
o Melatonin: Regulates body rhythms and sleep patterns.
• Thymus Gland:
o Produces T Cells
VII. Hormone Lifespan
• Hormones are destroyed in the liver after performing their function.
VIII. Diseases of the Endocrine System
• Dwarfism: Insufficient growth hormone.
• Diabetes Mellitus:
o Type 1: Body does not produce insulin.
o Type 2: Body produces minimal insulin or cells resist insulin.
o Gestational: Affects pregnant women, can lead to macrosomia.
• Thyroid Disorder (Hyperthyroidism): Overproduction of thyroid hormone, leading to goiter and
exophthalmos.
IX. Plant Hormones
• Auxin: Promotes stem growth towards light (phototropism).
• Gibberellins: Coordinates stem and leaf growth upwards, and root growth downwards
(gravitropism/geotropism).
• Thigmotropism: Growth/movement in response to touch/wind.