Why are the nervous and endocrine systems important?

Answer 1

The endocrine is one of the most important systems of the body. There are two systems that control the body, endocrine and nervous. The endocrine is basically producing and managing your hormones, making sure there isn't too much or too little. In the pituitary gland alone you secrete 9 hormones such as:

1) Growth Hormone (GH) - which codes for your body to grow. If you have to much of this you have Giantism, which is lethal and you grow to be a giant. Those who have too little Growth hormones have a condition called Pituitary Dwarfism.

2)Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) - basically maintains your fluid volume. Monitoring your blood, water, urine, etc. volume, making sure you don't get dehydrated by not allowing the formation of urine. If your ADH levels are to low, you can get Diabetes Insipidus or suffer severe dehydration.

3) Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) - stimulates the thyroid to release the thyroid hormone. Decreased TSH levels can create Cretinism in children and increased levels can cause hyperthyroidism, Graves Disease, and similar.

4) Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) - causes the release of glucocorticoids (which are essential to life influencing the energy metabolism of most body cells and they help us resist stressors) and androgens. It is very rare to have decreased levels, however increased levels of ACTH cause Cushings Disease.

5) Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) - in females it stimulates ovarian follicle maturation and the production of estrogen. In males stimulates sperm production. Too little causes failure of sexual maturation while there is no effect should you have an overproduction.

6)Luteinizing Hormone (LH) - in females triggers ovulation and stimulates the ovarian production of estrogen and progesterone; in males LH promotes testosterone production. The effects of too high and too little are the same as for FSH.

7) Prolactin (PRL) - promotes lactation; too little causes poor milk production in nursing women while too high causes inappropriate milk production and impotence and breast enlargement.

8) Oxytocin - stimulates uterine contraction, stimulates labor, and initiates milk injection; there are no known effects for too high or too little amounts of Oxytocin.

9) Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) -

Answer 2

Simply put, the hypothalamus is connected directly to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a major part of the endocrine system as it is the connection between the endocrine system and the brain.

Answer 3

Both are required to maintain homeostsis. Both are needed to respond to the envirnoment. Without the nervous system and the endocrine system you would not be able to live.