What Is the Endocrine System? The foundations of the endocrine system are the hormones and glands. As the body's chemical messengers, hormones (pronounced: hor-moanz) transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another. Many different hormones move through the bloodstream, but each type of hormone is designed to affect only certain cells. A gland is a group of cells that produces and secretes, or gives off, chemicals. A gland selects and removes materials …
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…pancreas (pronounced: pan-kree-us) is also part of the body's hormone-secreting system, even though it is also associated with the digestive system because it produces and secretes digestive enzymes. The pancreas produces (in addition to others) two important hormones, insulin (pronounced: in-suh-lin) and glucagon (pronounced: gloo-kuh-gawn). They work together to maintain a steady level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood and to keep the body supplied with fuel to produce and maintain stores of energy.