Home > Encyclopedia of Psychology > Endocrine Glands

Ductless glands which secrete chemical substances called hormones into the bloodstream which control the internal environment not only of each cell and organ, but of the entire body.

The endocrine glands—the pineal, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, thymus, adrenals, pancreas and gonads (ovaries or testes)—comprise the endocrine system. The hypothalamus, the gland in the brain which serves as the command center, operates the endocrine system through the pituitary, a pea-sized gland located under it, which directs the work of all the other glands. The thyroid, a gland in the neck, regulates the body's metabolism. The parathyroids, which are attached to the thyroid, control the amount of calcium and phosphate in the bloodstream. The adrenal glands,...