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Endocrinology is the study of a diverse group of tissues known as the endocrine glands and the substances that they secrete, called hormones. Hormones are basically chemical messengers -- dispatched by the brain and released from the endocrine glands -- that control and regulate bodily processes. The endocrine glands manufacture and secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream, usually in very low concentrations. They are then transported to their sites of action in the body, where they exert regulatory effects on the cellular processes of specific organs or upon widely distributed cells. Examples of endocrine glands include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, ovary, testis, placenta and part of the pancreas. Thus, the endocrine system regulates and maintains the stable functioning of the body by using hormones to control metabolism, temperature, internal fluid volume, bodily cycles (such as circadian rhythms), aspects of reproductive function and even growth and development in children.

NASA PD