What Is the Endocrine System?
The foundations of the endocrine system are the hormones and glands. As the body's chemical messengers, hormones (pronounced: hor-moanz) transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another. Many different hormones move through the bloodstream, but each type of hormone is designed to affect only certain cells.
A gland is a group of cells that produces and secretes, or gives off, chemicals. A gland selects and removes materials from the blood, processes them, and secretes the finished chemical product for use somewhere in the body. …
