Why Is the Endocrine System Important?
According to TeensHealth, the endocrine system is important because it regulates tissue function, mood, metabolism, growth and development, sexual function and reproductive processes. It influences nearly all cells, organs and functions of the human body. It is responsible for body processes that occur slowly, such as cell growth.
Penn Medicine explains that the endocrine system synthesizes and releases hormones to regulate and maintain different body functions. The primary control and integration functions of the endocrine system include absorption of nutrients, growth and development, energy metabolism, stress and injury responses, reproduction, lactation, and water and electrolyte balance.
Hormones and glands are the endocrine system’s foundations. Hormones act as the body’s chemical messengers, and they send information and instructions between sets of cells. Different types of hormones move through the bloodstream.
Glands are groups of cells that produce and secrete chemicals. As Penn Medicine explains, they remove certain materials from the blood, process these materials and secrete a chemical product to be used in specific parts of the body. Some glands release secretions in particular regions. For example, exocrine glands, which include the sweat and salivary glands, secrete in the mouth and skin. Endocrine glands release hormones directly into the bloodstream, which transports the hormones to cells in various parts of the body. Other glands include the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, adrenal gland and pineal gland.
