Endocrine and Reproductive Systems

Abstract

Because the endocrine system is concerned with the maintenance of the animal’s internal environment in spite of changes in the external environment, it is to be expected that the system is influenced by changes in climatic conditions. The hormones associated with the control of metabolism, that is, those from the thyroid, adrenal cortex, and adrenal medulla, are especially likely to respond to changes in ambient temperature because of the changes that occur in metabolic rate, and the hormonal systems associated with the control of water and electrolyte balance are challenged during periods of high evaporative loss.