Endocrine system Endocrine system The endocrine system is a chemical messenger system consisting of hormones, the group of glands of an organism that secrete those hormones directly into the circulatory system to regulate the function of distant target organs, and the feedback loops which modulate hormone release so that homeostasis is maintained. In humans, the major endocrine glands are the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the neural control center for all endocrine systems. The study of the endocrine system and its disorders is known as endocrinology. Endocrinology is a branch of internal medicine. Special features of
Biochemistry of body odor odorous compounds that are responsible for body malodor. Water and nutrients secreted by sweat glands also contribute to body odor by creating an ideal environment for supporting the growth of skin surface bacteria. There are three types of sweat glands: eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine. Apocrine glands are primarily responsible for body malodor and, along with apoeccrine glands, are mostly expressed in the axillary (underarm) regions, whereas eccrine glands are distributed throughout virtually all of the rest of the skin in the body, although they are also particularly expressed in the axillary regions, and contribute to malodor to a relatively minor