Question

The endocrine system encompasses several different glands and hormones. After reading about the endocrine system, which do you think is the most interesting hormone or gland? Why? What diseases and surgeries are associated with this hormone or gland (name at least one disease and one surgery)?

Please write clearly

Answer 1

Endocrine glands are the glands in our body that secrete hormones directly into the blood. Their significance to our body then lies on the significance of the hormones they release.These glands make hormones, which are chemical messengers that travel through your bloodstream to tissues or organs. Hormones work slowly and affect body processes from head to toe. These include Growth and development, Metabolism (digestion, elimination, breathing, blood circulation and maintaining body temperature), Sexual function, Reproduction, Mood.

The major glands that make up the human endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, pineal body, and the reproductive glands, which include the ovaries and testes. The pancreas is also part of this hormone-secreting system, even though it is also associated with the digestive system because it also produces and secretes digestive enzymes.

According to me , i think pituitary gland is interesting gland because its no bigger than a pea however it is capable of secreting several hormones.

The pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain just beneath the hypothalamus, is considered the most important part of the endocrine system. It's often called the "master gland" because it makes hormones that control several other endocrine glands.

The production and secretion of pituitary hormones can be influenced by factors such as emotions and seasonal changes. To accomplish this, the hypothalamus relays information sensed by the brain (such as environmental temperature, light exposure patterns, and feelings) to the pituitary.

The Pituitary Gland

The tiny pituitary gland is divided into two parts: the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The anterior lobe regulates the activity of the thyroid, adrenals, and reproductive glands. Among the hormones it produces are:

Growth hormone, which stimulates the growth of bone and other body tissues and plays a role in the body's handling of nutrients and minerals.

Prolactin, which activates milk production in women who are breastfeeding.

Thyrotropin, which stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones

Corticotropin, which stimulates the adrenal gland to produce certain hormones

The pituitary also secretes endorphins, chemicals that act on the nervous system to reduce sensitivity to pain. In addition, the pituitary secretes hormones that signal the ovaries and testes to make sex hormones. The pituitary gland also controls ovulation and the menstrual cycle in women.

The posterior lobe of the pituitary releases antidiuretic hormone, which helps control body water balance through its effect on the kidneys and urine output; and oxytocin, which triggers the contractions of the uterus that occur during labor.

Problems occur when the pituitary gland is either too active or not active enough.

Conditions where the pituitary gland produces too much of one or more of its hormones include:

• Acromegaly
• Cushing's syndrome
• Prolactinoma

Conditions where the pituitary gland fails to produce enough hormones include:

• Adult growth hormone deficiency.
• Diabetes insipidus.
• Hypopituitarism.
• Pituitary tumours.

Surgery for Pituitary Tumors

The main treatment for many pituitary tumors is surgery. How well the surgery works depends on the type of tumor, its exact location, its size, and whether it has spread into nearby structures.

Transsphenoidal surgery

This is the most common way to remove pituitary tumors. Transsphenoidal means that the surgery is done through the sphenoid sinus, a hollow space in the skull behind the nasal passages and below the brain. The back wall of the sinus covers the pituitary gland.

To do this surgery, the neurosurgeon makes a small incision (cut) along the nasal septum (the cartilage between the 2 sides of the nose) or under the upper lip (above the teeth). To reach the pituitary, the surgeon opens the boney walls of the sphenoid sinus with small surgical chisels, drills, or other instruments depending on the thickness of the bone and sinus. Small tools and a microscope are used to remove the tumor.

Another approach is to use an endoscope, a thin fiber-optic tube with a tiny camera at the tip. This way, the incision under the upper lip or along the nasal septum isn't needed, because the endoscope allows the surgeon to see through a small incision that's made in the back of the nasal septum. The surgeon passes instruments through the nose and opens the sphenoid sinus to reach the pituitary gland and take out the tumor. Whether this technique can be used depends on the tumor’s position and the shape of the sphenoid sinus.

Craniotomy

For larger or more complicated pituitary tumors, a craniotomy may be needed. In this approach the surgeon operates through an opening in the front of the skull, off to one side. The surgeon has to work carefully beneath and between the lobes of the brain to reach the tumor. Craniotomy has a higher chance of brain injury and other side effects than transsphenoidal surgery for small lesions, but it’s actually safer for large and complex lesions because the surgeon is better able to see and reach the tumor as well as nearby nerves and blood vessels.