Biology Assignment: Human Endocrine System Study Analysis

This homework assignment delves into the human endocrine system, examining its role in regulating bodily functions. The assignment begins by contrasting the endocrine system's slow response time with the nervous system's rapid reflex actions, highlighting the importance of neuronal signaling in immediate responses. It provides an example of hormonal control, specifically focusing on the regulation of blood glucose levels by insulin and glucagon. When blood glucose is high, insulin is released to facilitate glucose uptake by cells, lowering blood sugar. Conversely, when blood glucose is low, glucagon stimulates the liver to release stored glucose, increasing blood sugar. The assignment also explores the interplay between the endocrine and nervous systems, illustrating how they work together, for example, in stressful situations. The student has referenced several sources to support the analysis of the endocrine system and its functions.

Running head: ENDOCRINE STUDY FOR HUMAN
ENDOCRINE STUDY FOR HUMAN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1ENDOCRINE STUDY FOR HUMAN
Answer 1
a) Endocrine system do not have the capability to give a rapid reaction which is essential
for coordination of many reflexes. However, in such situations nerve system produces reaction
immediately. Reflex action, particularly the withdrawal response, is considered to be a spinal
reflex that is designed to defend human body from potentially destructive stimuli. It must be
achieved immediately and only neuronal signalling system that has the tendency of producing
fast responses (La Perle and Dintzis 2018). Different other slow receptive process such as the
chemical messaging occurring in the endocrine system are not suitable for reflex actions. The
chemical messaging produced from the endocrine system where transportation of hormones
occurs are released by different production of glands in the circulatory system to site of actions
that are located at a distance, in slow as well as cannot defend human body from instant dangers
(Fig 1).
Fig 1: Endocrine system messaging (La Perle and Dintzis 2018)
b. i) An example to show the process of hormonal control-The glucose concentration in
the blood is too high, then the pancreas starts producing the insulin hormone. The insulin

2ENDOCRINE STUDY FOR HUMAN
hormone allows cells to absorb the glucose from cells thereby reducing the sugar level in the
blood as well as supply the cells with glucose for the production of energy (Gordan, Gwathmey
and Xie 2015). When the sugar level in the blood are low then the pancreas releases a good
amount of glucagon (Fig 2). The glucagon then inculcates the liver to discharge glucose that was
stored that causes blood sugar to increase.
Fig 2: Insulin hormonal control (Kabir, Rahman and Rahman 2015)
b. ii) Insulin is generally released by the beta cells which is a sort of islet cell of the
pancreas. When the glucose present in blood is in elevation it excites the emission of insulin.
Correspondingly, when the blood glucose level decreases, the quantity of insulin concealed by
the pancreatic islets also goes down. Insulin plays an important role on a number of cells, that
includes fat cells, muscle and red blood cells. Glucagon is released by the alpha cells present in
the pancreatic islets in much alike in means as insulin excluding for the role in the reverse
direction. When the blood glucose is in elevation, then there is no glucagon secreted. If glucose
level present in the blood goes below the mark, during exercise or during meals then large

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amount of glucagon is secreted (Kabir, Rahman and Rahman 2015). Similarly, insulin, glucagon
both have an impact over many cells of the body, nevertheless utmost remarkably the liver.
b. iii) Studies have shown that both endocrine and nervous system present in our body
function together for assimilating all activities (Mader and Windelspecht 2015). For example:
heart, brain as well as lungs function together. In a stressful situation due to sympathetic
stimulation from the brain the rate of heart increases thereby stimulating the perspiration as well
as similarly broadens air passages to simplify breathing. In Fig 3 a brief analysis of endocrine
and nervous system linkage is shown.
Fig 3: Endocrine and nervous system linked (Mader and Windelspecht 2015)

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References
Gordan, R., Gwathmey, J.K. and Xie, L.H., 2015. Autonomic and endocrine control of
cardiovascular function. World journal of cardiology, 7(4), p.204.
Kabir, E.R., Rahman, M.S. and Rahman, I., 2015. A review on endocrine disruptors and their
possible impacts on human health. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology, 40(1), pp.241-
258.
La Perle, K.M.D. and Dintzis, S.M., 2018. Endocrine system. In Comparative Anatomy and
Histology (pp. 251-273). Academic Press.
Mader, S. and Windelspecht, M., 2015. Human biology. McGraw-Hill Education.