The endocrine system is a collection of ductless glands which are positioned through the whole body. The endocrine glands pass their secretions of hormones directly into the blood stream so that they are always adjacent to blood vessels. Hormones are chemicals in the body produced and secreted in the body that regulate the function of a particular tissue or organ (Bing dictionary). These chemical messengers transfer information from one set of cells to another. Despite many chemicals being transmitted and circulated around the body via the bloodstream, each one only acts on the cells that are genetically programmed to receive and respond to its message. Hormone levels can be influenced by many factors including stress, infection and changes in the balance of fluids within the body. A gland is a group of cells that produce and secrete chemicals (http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/endocrine.html). A gland will select and eliminate waste materials from the blood, then process it and secrete the end product for use at another location in the body. Endocrine glands release more than 20 major hormones straight into the bloodstream and from here they can be transported to the cells in other parts of the body.
There are many major glands that make up the endocrine system and these include the: hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, pineal body and the reproductive glands (testes for males and ovaries for females). The pancreas is also involved in secreting hormones which are involved with the maintaining of blood sugar levels within the body. The pancreas is also associated with the digestive system as it produced hydrolytic enzymes which aid with digestion.
Neuro-endocrine system
The nervous and endocrine systems control all the biological processes within the body and they can almost control one another. The nervous system can stimulate or inhibit the release of certain hormones while the endocrine system can