The Endocrine System
The endocrine system consists of many small organs responsible for the release of hormones. The endocrine system regulates metabolism, growth and development, tissue function and mood. The Endocrine System Web Guide provides resources for teaching the system and study materials for students.
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Expand All Guide SectionsEndocrine System Basics
Learn about the function of the endocrine system and find diagrams of the endocrine system online. Endocrine system basics are easy to find at the sites below, written in language you don’t have to be a doctor to understand.
Insights for Endocrine System Basics
- The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is an apt one for this topic. Many sites allow you to zoom in to view very detailed images of particular organs. Often getting a good look at the parts of an organ and their names is as informative as reading pages of text.
- If you’ve found a site you like and you’re looking to get additional information—perhaps for a term paper or other research—check for a “contact us” link or for the e-mail address of the author (usually located at the bottom of the page). Most authors of these types of Web sites will happily answer your inquiries.
Top Sites for Endocrine System Basics
The Hormone Foundation
provides an overview of the endocrine system with specific sections on diseases, glands, hormones, organs and function of the endocrine system.
The Biology Web
is, save for a couple of color diagrams, a no-frills Web site. Nevertheless, it clearly and succinctly covers all parts of the endocrine system. What distinguishes this site from others is that it touches on some of the basic biochemistry associated with the endocrine system.
IPweb (Interactive Physiology)
provides an interactive primer on the endocrine system, probably the most fun way to learn the information online. Click on a topic and a narrator talks you through as the text, along with excellent animated graphics, appear on the screen. Pause the animation at any time to click on highlighted keywords for definitions.
Endocrine System for Kids
Maybe you’re a parent looking for a way to explain to your child why his or her body is changing. Or maybe you’re a teacher looking for supplemental information for your lesson plans. The sites below can have you armed and ready to teach the endocrine system for kids.
Insights for the Endocrine System for Kids
- It’s a good idea for kids to have a teacher or parent go through these sites with them. Not only is the subject matter likely to provoke questions but it’s also reassuring for kids to be accompanied by someone who’s already gone through—and survived—the often scary transitional process of puberty.
Top Sites for the Endocrine System for Kids
Biology4Kids.com
does a nice job of introducing kids to one of the most complex systems of the body. A one-page summary of the endocrine system effectively conveys the basics of the system, providing kids with a good first glimpse into the crazy world of hormones.
Discovery Kids
presents “Your Gross and Cool Body: Endocrine System.” By using kid-friendly language, the site effectively conveys some complicated and tricky topics.
KidsHealth
covers the endocrine system in language that kids can understand. Find an overview of the endocrine system and descriptions of the glands and what the endocrine system does.
Functions of the Endocrine System
The pituitary gland of the endocrine system is often considered the master gland of the body, and when it’s not functioning correctly many other things can go wrong. Use the sites below to get a better understanding of the functions of the endocrine system.
Insights for the Functions of the Endocrine System
- Many sites designed for scientists contain lecture materials from college courses. Often, they include online quizzes and exams. If you’re a student taking a similar course, these materials may be useful study tools for your own exams.
Top Sites for the Functions of the Endocrine System
Colorado State University’s
“Pathophysiology of the Endocrine System” provides a wealth of highly technical information by probing deeply into the system’s biochemistry and analyzing the system on a cellular level. Aiding navigation, each page is marked with an apple (indicating core information), a professor (indicating advanced information) or a light bulb (indicating supplemental information).
Online Biology Book,
a site created by Michael J. Farabee, Ph.D., a biology professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, offers extensive information about the endocrine system with keyword links to a glossary and charts, graphs and schematic images. The text is full of hyperlinks that take you to more complex and scientifically advanced content.
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