The Endocrine System - Part 2

The pancreas. Another of the essential organs is the pancreas. Within it are the islets of Langerhans, groups of cells that secrete insulin, a hormone essential to the conversion of sugar to energy. The pancreas also controls the way fats are stored in the body.

The disease that results from a deficiency of insulin is called diabetes. This disease was fatal until Dr. Frederick Banting and four other Canadian  doctors  discovered  that secretion of the islets in the pancreas would stop the symptoms of diabetes They found that insulin controlled the way the body uses sugar. By injectiing insulin into patients, the disease could be arrested.

The thyroid gland. The thyroid is another part of the endocrine system The thyroid is a gland which straddles the trachea. The hormone thyroxin produced in this small gland, influences the body’s ability to use foods; consequently, it controls body weight, growth, development of intelligence, and certain other processes.

One of the important factors in the functioning of the thyroid is iodine. If sufficient iodine is not present in the diet, the thyroid enlarges and forms an ugly swelling in the neck, called a goiter. A goiter condition can be prevented by eating sufficient iodine in the form of seafood, iodized salt, or certain plants. People living in regions where iodine is especially common in foods do not need iodized salt.

The parathyroids. Buried in the thyroid gland are four parathyroid glands. These glands are tiny spots on the thyroid gland and are vital life. They secrete a hormone that controls the level of calcium in the blood This calcium controls muscle bility. A muscle deprived of calcium will twitch uncontrollably. Too much parathyroid hormone, on the other hand, will cause the bones to give up calcium to the blood, a condition equally undesirable.

The other endocrines. There are other endocrine glands of varying degrees of importance. These glands also work through the blood stream and control various body functions.

Balance in the body. The chemical controls in the body are just part of the interlocking systems that normally function so well together. Doctors long ago devised the concept of homeostasis, or automatic balance, to explain this balance. The body is such a complex series of dependent parts that damage
to one part will affect dozens of others. The body’s homeostasis automatically corrects for many of these imbalances, and brings the body parts into harmony again. In sickness, homeostasis may cure you without help from a doctor. It adjusts your functions to compensate for diet, temperature change and all manner of other upsetting factors in your environment. Without such a capacity for maintaining balance, you would not have a chance to lead a healthy, comfortable life.