The Endocrine System Growth And Development

An informative article on: The Endocrine System Growth And Development.

The endocrine system undoubtedly is one of the most important systems in the human body. This is due to the fact that it controls and regulates a large proportion of other organs and systems in the body. As such, failure in the proper functioning of the endocrine system automatically results in the development and emergence of several diseases and disorders. Basically, the actions of the endocrine system are mediated by hormones which are produced, stored and secreted by the endocrine organs. Hormones in turn act as chemical messengers that transmit specific instructions from the controlling center to certain organs and tissues referred to as target organs and tissues.

The Endocrine System: Growth and Development

One of the vital roles played by the endocrine system can be found in the regulation and mediation of growth and development. This is particularly more relevant during the early stages of life and a deficiency in the endocrine system if not corrected early can result in a distortion of growth and development. The role of the endocrine system in growth and development can be traced to a number of hormones that act on several organs and tissues of the body. These hormones carry out their effects on the body right from the embryonic stage of human development. The chief hormones that influence growth and development are discussed below.

Growth Hormone

Growth hormone also known as somatotropin is a polypeptide hormone that is produced stored and secreted by certain cells called somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland of man and animals. Growth hormone is composed of 191 amino acids to form a single chain. Most of the effects of growth hormone on the different cells of the body are anabolic (building up). One of the most commonly known effects of Growth Hormone is the increase in height during childhood. The major means by which this is done is through the stimulation of the liver and several other tissues to secrete insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). IGF-1 causes bone growth through the stimulation of chondrocytes.

Other effects of Growth Hormone

Apart from bone growth, growth hormone is also very important in muscle growth. It carries this out majorly in two ways. The first mechanism is through the stimulation of the proliferation and differentiation of muscle cells (myoblasts). It also causes the muscle and other tissues to take up amino acids for protein synthesis. Growth hormone also has several other effects including increase in muscle mass through sarcomere hyperplasia, stimulating the growth of all internal organs excluding the brain and promotion of lipolysis (fat breakdown).

Thyroxine

Apart from growth hormone, another important hormone that assists the endocrine system’s role in growth and development is thyroxine. This hormone is produced in the thyroid gland and is responsible for the regulation of metabolism in virtually all the cells of the body. Thyroxine is responsible for increasing the rate of carbohydrate metabolism and also that of protein synthesis and breakdown. Thus the endocrine system is able to play a vital role in growth and development through the actions of thyroxine and growth hormone.