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Mechanism of secretion in endocrine glands

  • Chapter
Ultrastructure of Endocrine Cells and Tissues

Part of the book series: Electron Microscopy in Biology and Medicine ((EMBM,volume 1))

Abstract

The main difference between exocrine and endocrine glands is the absence of ducts in the endocrine glands. Therefore, the latter are often called ductless glands, ‘glandulae sine ductibus’. Because they have no means of conveying secretory products away from the gland, the secretion enters the circulation via the blood vessels richly distributed throughout the gland. In a few cases lymphatic vessels receive the secretory products. As the action of secretion of endocrine glands transported either by blood or lymph is usually stimulation of other sensitive organs, the endocrine substance is called a hormone, meaning stimulator or accelerator. The sensitive organs which are stimulated by the hormones are termed target organs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Morphology, Institute of Endocrinology, Gunma University, Showa-Machi 3-39-15, Maebashi, 371, Japan

    Kazumasa Kurosumi

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  1. Kazumasa Kurosumi
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome, Italy

    P. M. Motta M.D., Ph.D.

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© 1984 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston, The Hague, Dordrecht, Lancaster

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Kurosumi, K. (1984). Mechanism of secretion in endocrine glands. In: Motta, P.M. (eds) Ultrastructure of Endocrine Cells and Tissues. Electron Microscopy in Biology and Medicine, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3861-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3861-1_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3863-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3861-1

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