The endocrine system and the nervous system both serve to control and coordinate normal functions in an animal's body. The nervous system operates on a short time-scale. It can respond quickly, but cannot sustain prolonged activity. The endocrine system operates on a long time scale. It responds more slowly than the nervous system, but can sustain its activity for very long periods.
I. Hormones
A. CharacteristicsB. General function
C. Control of hormone secretion
II. The Major Endocrine Glands
A. The Hypothalamus1. Characteristics2. Relationships with the pituitary gland
a. Anterior pituitaryb. Posterior pituitary
B. The Pituitary gland
1. Characteristics2. Anterior pituitary
a. Growth hormonei. Effect in young animalsii. Effect in older animals
b. Prolactin
i. Effect in femaleii. Effect in male
c. Thyroid stimulating hormone
d. Follicle stimulating hormone
i. Effect in femaleii. Effect in male
e. Luteinizing hormone
i. Effect in femaleii. Effect in male
f. Adrenocorticotropic hormone
3. Posterior pituitary
a. Antidiuretic hormoneb. Oxytocin
C. The Thyroid gland
1. Characteristics2. Thyroid hormone
a. Calorigenic effectb. Effect on protein, carbohydrate & lipid metabolism
c. Effect on young, growing animals
3. Calcitonin
D. The Parathyroid glands
1. Characteristics2. Parathyroid hormone
E. The Adrenal glands
1. Characteristics2. The Adrenal cortex
a. Glucocorticoid hormonesb. Mineralocorticoid hormones
c. Sex hormones
3. The Adrenal medulla
a. Epinephrine and norepinephrineF. The Pancreas
1. The pancreatic islets2. Pancreatic hormones
a. Insulinb. Glucagon
G. The Gonads
1. The Ovariesa. Follicle developmentb. Estrogen
i. Signs of heatii. Feedback to anterior pituitary gland
c. Corpus luteum development
d. Progesterone
2. The Testes
a. Testosteroneb. Estrogen
III. Other endocrine organs
A. The KidneysB. The Stomach
C. The Small intestine
D. The Placenta
E. The Thymus
F. The Pineal Body
G. Prostaglandins