exocrine versus endocrine

[MedGrl@2022]

How would you differentiate between exocrine and endocrine on the MCAT?

I know that exocrine glands have ducts and release enzymes to the superficial? external environment. Examples include sweat, oil, mucous and digestive glands.

Whereas, endocrine glands release hormones directly into bodily fluids, ie blood and these hormones may travel throughout the body.

Are these good definitions? So whenever I see ducts, superficial and enzymes the answer is exocrine and hormones are secreted by endocrine glands.

Thank you for all your help.

Sincerely,

Verónica

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[YouNeverKnow22]

How would you differentiate between exocrine and endocrine on the MCAT?

I know that exocrine glands have ducts and release enzymes to the superficial? external environment. Examples include sweat, oil, mucous and digestive glands.

Whereas, endocrine glands release hormones directly into bodily fluids, ie blood and these hormones may travel throughout the body.

Are these good definitions? So whenever I see ducts, superficial and enzymes the answer is exocrine and hormones are secreted by endocrine glands.

Thank you for all your help.

Sincerely,

Verónica

I'm not sure what the confusion is? A specific questions? In general if you know the endocrine system well, these questions shouldn't be tough.

In general exocrine glands excretes its product through a duct--and some huge examples are sweat glands, salivary glands and the pancreas and liver.

 

[Redpancreas]

How would you differentiate between exocrine and endocrine on the MCAT?

I know that exocrine glands have ducts and release enzymes to the superficial? external environment. Examples include sweat, oil, mucous and digestive glands.

Whereas, endocrine glands release hormones directly into bodily fluids, ie blood and these hormones may travel throughout the body.

Are these good definitions? So whenever I see ducts, superficial and enzymes the answer is exocrine and hormones are secreted by endocrine glands.

Thank you for all your help.

Sincerely,

Verónica

Hey! You're like me. Sometimes when I see the definition I still am not sure if I totally get it. Well, those are good definitions for the MCAT. In general anything that secretes something that can catalyze a reaction into a duct (like the stomach, small intestines, etc-which are NOT part of the bloodstream) then I see it as exocrine. In terms of endocrine glands, any gland that secretes a ligand (molecule that binds to receptor) directly into the systemic bloodstream so it can bind anywhere in the body is endocrine. I make the distinction with systemic bloodstream because paracrine is similar to endocrine but it's basically the sending of signals (not hormones because they're not circulating around in the whole body) to a close range target (ex. something within the same tissue).

 

[Hemorrage]

The best explanation i've found is that exocrine affecters are typically local in nature while endocrine is systemic as it can affect different regions of the body.

 

[ReggieD6868]

Exocrine: carried via ducts to specific locations.

Endocrine: secreted directly into blood stream. eventually find target receptor.

 

[stevvo111]

How would you differentiate between exocrine and endocrine on the MCAT?

I know that exocrine glands have ducts and release enzymes to the superficial? external environment. Examples include sweat, oil, mucous and digestive glands.

Whereas, endocrine glands release hormones directly into bodily fluids, ie blood and these hormones may travel throughout the body.

Are these good definitions? So whenever I see ducts, superficial and enzymes the answer is exocrine and hormones are secreted by endocrine glands.

Thank you for all your help.

Sincerely,

Verónica

well it's tricky, don't boil the definitions down to exactly that though. It's kinda fluid, for instance gastrin is a hormone involved during digestion, it's not secreted into the blood, yet I'd consider it to have been secreted by an endocrine gland (gastrointestinal tract- g cells to be exact, less known but still an endocrine function none the less)

so moral is don't boil down things into definitions to be memorized.