Endocrine glands are small organs that make and release hormones into the blood stream.
Pineal gland
- The pineal gland is located deep in the brain in an area called the epithalamus, where the two halves of the brain join. In humans, this is situated in the middle of the brain; it sits in a groove just above the thalamus, which is an area that co-ordinates a variety of functions related to our senses.
- The major hormone produced by the pineal gland is melatonin.
- Melatonin is best known for the role it plays in regulating sleep patterns
- Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the body's daily (circadian) clock and is commonly used in human research to understand the body's biological time.
Lack of Melatonin may cause the following side effects:
- sleepiness and drowsiness
- grogginess in the morning
- intense, vivid dreams
- slight increase in blood pressure
- slight drop in body temperature
- anxiety
- confusion
Pituitary gland
- The pituitary gland is a small pea-sized gland that plays a major role in regulating vital body functions and general wellbeing. It is referred to as the body's 'master gland' because it controls the activity of most other hormone-secreting glands.
- growth hormone, which regulates growth, metabolism and body composition
- prolactin, which stimulates milk production
- Conditions that cause the pituitary gland to produce too much of one or more hormone(s). Examples include acromegaly, Cushing's disease and prolactinoma
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