Question

Name the largest endocrine gland in our body.

Answer 1

Hint: The organs which are responsible for secreting hormones are known as glands. Endocrine glands are those glands which are ductless.

Complete Answer:
 There are two types of glands,
1) Endocrine glands
2) Exocrine glands

Endocrine glands are ductless glands and they produce hormones. The hormones are chemical substances which are essential for growth. The major endocrine glands are,
- Adrenal glands
- Pancreas
- Pituitary glands
- Hypothalamus
- Thyroid gland

The biggest endocrine gland in the body is Pancreas. The endocrine part of pancreas is made up of Islets of Langerhans which contains delta cells, alpha cells, beta cells. The alpha cells are responsible for secreting glucagon and the beta cells are responsible for secreting insulin.

The function of insulin and glucagon are,
(I) Insulin: It is secreted by beta cells in presence of high sugar levels and stimulates the process of glycogenesis in liver and muscle cells. It promotes glycolysis and prevent gluconeogenesis
(II) Glucagon: It is secreted by alpha cells and acts on adipose tissue and liver. Its secretion is stimulated by low blood glucose levels and it helps in increasing glucose levels by the process of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. It also inhibits conversion of glucose into lactic acid.

Note: Pancreas is an example of heterocrine glands, i.e. it has both exocrine and endocrine features. The exocrine part of the pancreas produces enzymes like chymotrypsin, pancreatic lipase, etc which help in the process of digestion.