Endocrine System

endocrine system, any of the systems found in animals for the production of hormones, substances that regulate the functioning of the organism. Such a system may range, at its simplest, from the neurosecretory, involving one or more centres in the nervous system, to the complex array of glands found in the human endocrine system.

Comparative endocrinologists investigate the evolution of endocrine systems and the role of these systems in animals’ adaptation to their environments and their production of offspring. Studies of nonmammalian animalshave provided information that has furthered research in mammalian endocrinology, including that of humans. For example, the actions of a pituitary hormone, prolactin, on the control of body water and salt content were first discovered in fishes and later led to the demonstration of similar mechanisms in mammals. The mediating role of local ovarian secretions (paracrine function) in the maturation of oocytes (eggs) was discovered in starfishes and only later extended to vertebrates. The important role of thyroid hormones during embryonic development was first studied thoroughly in tadpoles during the early 1900s. In addition, the isolation and purification of many mammalian hormones was made possible in large part by using other vertebrates as bioassay systems; that is, primitive animals have served as relatively simple, sensitive indicators of the amount of hormone activity in extracts prepared from mammalian endocrine glands. Finally, some vertebrate and invertebrate animals have provided “model systems” for research that have yielded valuable information on the nature of hormone receptors and the mechanisms of hormone action. For example, one of the most intensively studied systems for understanding hormone actions on target tissues has been the receptors for progesterone and estrogens (hormones secreted by the gonads) from the oviducts of chickens.

An understanding of how the endocrine system is regulated in nonmammals also provides essential information for regulating natural populations or captive animals. Artificial control of salmon reproduction has had important implications for the salmon industry as a whole. Some successful attempts at reducing pest insect species have been based on the knowledge of pheromones. Understanding the endocrinology of a rare species may permit it to be bred successfully in captivity and thus prevent it from becoming extinct. Future research may even lead to the reintroduction of some endangered species into natural habitats.