Objective 58: Relate structure and function of the endocrine system to digestion

This is a very broad topic, which means there could be a variaty of answers to cover this topic. I actually am still having a hard time figuring out the best way to answer this question correctly, but I'm going to give it my best shot. So, here it goes. The endocrine system is the second great control system of the body. It is made up of a serious of glands that produce a variaty of hormones. These hormones act as "chemical" messengers and help regulate a majority of the body's basic functions. There is a passage from the textbook that really helps me understand, in short, what the endocrine hormones are responsible for. In chapter 15, the passage on page 519 states "The major processes controlled and integrated by these "mighty molecules" are reproduction; growth and development; maintenance of electrolyte, water, and nutrient balance of the blood; regulation of cellular metabolism and energy balance; and mobilization of body defenses." This really helps me see how the endocrine affects the other systems more clearly. The digestion system is composed of a system of organs that helps break down food into nutrients, absorbs the nutrients into the bloodstream, and then gets rid of the wastes. So in short, the endocrine system produces important hormones (for example -gastrin, cholecystokinin, secretin) that allow the digestive function to take place. Without these hormones, our bodies could not digest the food we take in.

I know that we are not suppose to "teach" the information, but I couldn't find anything in the textbook or online that really gave me an "aha" moment. There was a small article called Enteric Endocrine System that provided a few small pieces of information that guided me, but for the most part I was on my own. Being able to write this information out on this blog really gave me a clearer understanding on how the endocrine system was related to the digestion process. The lecture in class was the only helpful thing to help me understand this information, since we discuss certain topics in depth.