BRAINCAKEHormone Release System
Endocrine glands release hormones in response to three main types of stimulus.
1. A change in the concentration of a substance in the blood. Some gland cells detect a variable directly. For example, β cells in the islets of Langerhans detect a rise in blood glucose and secrete insulin.
2. Nerve impulses. Some glands are stimulated by the nervous system. For example, during stress, sympathetic neurones stimulate the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline. The hypothalamus also sends nerve impulses to the posterior pituitary to release ADH and oxytocin.
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Key terms in this lesson
- islets of langerhans
- Groups of hormone-secreting cells in the pancreas, including insulin-secreting beta cells and glucagon-secreting alpha cells.
- negative feedback
- A response that reverses a change in a variable, returning it towards its set point.
More in Chemical Control
- Negative Feedback
- Positive Feedback
- Chemical Control
- Endocrine Glands
- Pituitary Gland
- Second Messenger System
- Plant Stimuli
- Plant Responses
All 30 lessons in Chemical Control · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics