Functions of Endocrine System
Functions of Endocrine System are vast in animals and human body, these are like – Maintain homeostasis, Control chemical and water balance in body,
Control growth and metabolism, Control embryonic development and preparation for nurturing a newborn, Influence sexual behavior, stimulate growth and maturation of the genitalia, Feedback to the nervous system, Regulating red cell production, Inducing adaptive changes to stress etc.
These are some major Functions of Endocrine System in animals-
- Maintain homeostasis
- Control chemical and water balance in body
- Control growth and metabolism
- Control embryonic development and preparation for nurturing a newborn
- Influence sexual behavior, stimulate growth and maturation of the genitalia
- Feedback to the nervous system
- Regulating red cell production
- Inducing adaptive changes to stress
Hormonal stimulus usually produces one or more of the following changes on cell-
- Altering plasma membrane permeability or membrane potential (or both) by opening or closing ion channels.
- Stimulates the synthesis of proteins or regulatory molecules, such as enzymes with in the cell.
- Enzyme activation or deactivation (changes metabolism)
- Induction of secretory activity
- Stimulation of mitosis or meiosis
- Activation of genes
- Smooth muscle contraction
Relation between endocrine and Nervous system
The nervous system controls homeostasis through nerve impulses that trigger the release of neurotransmitters whose effect results in either excitation or inhibition of other neurons, muscle fibres, or glands. The endocrine system releases hormones into blood stream that travels to the target organ where it alters the physiological activity.
In nervous system, a sensory receptor senses the change and sends action potentials by its afferent sensory neuron to the integration center in the brain or spinal cord. The efferent path is the motor neuron that takes action potentials to the effectors (muscle or glands) for the response of contraction or secretion.
In the endocrine system, the gland/ the cells may act as the receptors and the integration centers which are often influenced by neural and other inputs. The response is either to change the rate of an enzymatic reaction, to control the transport of certain molecules across cell membranes, or to control gene expression and thus make new proteins.
| Nervous system | Endocrine system |
| Nervous system regulates the activities of muscles and glands via electrical impulses transported through neurons | Endocrine System regulates the body’s metabolic activity via hormones that are transported in the blood |
| Reflexes of the nervous system are more specific because nerves regulate specific target cells | Hormones can control multiple organs and systems |
| Nervous system uses both electrical (action potentials) and chemical (neurotransmitters) signals | Endocrine system uses only chemical signals (hormones) |
| Neural control is fast; its effects are short-lived | Hormonal control is comparatively slower; generally its effects are prolonged |
| Stimulus intensity in the nervous system is represented by the frequency and amplitude of action potentials. | Stimulus intensity in the endocrine system is determined by the amount and duration of hormone(s) released. |