What is the most important part of the endocrine system?

Answer 1

Hormones and Glands.

Glands:

Hypothalamus

Pituitary

Pineal

Thyroid

Parathyroid

Adrenal

Heart

Intestine

Stomach

Ovaries/testes

Pancreas

Answer 2

The endocrine system is made up with a series of glands located around the body. These glands include:

Pituitary Gland Thyroid Glands Parathyroid Glands Thymus Pancreas Adrenal Glands Gonads

Answer 3

The pituitary, itself an endocrine gland, is the "brain," if you will, of the endocrine system as it controls all of the other endocrine glands. Basically, it does so by monitoring a number of bodily activities or states that it regulates by releasing hormones that, in turn, stimulate the production of hormones by the glands it targets.

For example, the pituitary gland produces thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which causes the thyroid gland (located in the anterior portion of the neck, approximately midway between the sternal and thyroid notches) to produce the thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. As a result, the levels of thyroid hormone in circulation increase, which is detected by the pituitary gland. Through their respective hormones, the pituitary and thyroid glands "communicate" with each other and maintain a steady-state that results in a relatively constant metabolic rate. So it is with all of the endocrine glands.

At the outset, I said that the pituitary gland was the "brain" of the endocrine system. Depending upon one's perspective the "correct" answer to this question is, arguably, the hypothalamus gland, which serves as a link between the nervous and endocrine systems but by way of the pituitary gland. In the literature one finds references to the endocrine "master gland" being either the hypothalamus or the pituitary. One can also find references to the pituitary as the master gland but under the control of the hypothalamus!? Indeed, while the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland manufactures and secretes its six peptide hormones, the two peptide hormones within the pituitary gland's posterior lobe are manufactured and stored there by the hypothalamus. Clearly, a thorough understanding of this complex relationship issues only after a detailed study.

My perspective dictates that Mary (the pituitary gland) drives the car (the body). However, in order for Mary to drive the car, Daddy (the hypothalamus) has to give her the keys. Which is the most important part of driving the car? In like manner, the hypothalamus (Daddy) produces, so-called, releasing hormones (the keys) that stimulate or inhibit the release of the pituitary hormones.

Answer 4

Golgi Apparatus, Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, Nucleus, Nuclear Membrane and Ribosomes.

Answer 5

Pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, testicles/ovaries