The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

10 glands in the human body

A gland can be defined as an organ that produces and releases substances that perform a specific function in the body. There are many of these in the human body. Here are ten.

1. The Adrenal glands are a pair of glands located (as the word itself would suggest) atop each kidney that produce adrenaline, etc.
2. The hypothalamus gland is found in the brain and links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland.
3. The pineal gland (so called because it is apparently pine shaped) is also in the brain, in the mid-cranium behind the forehead. It produces melatonin, a serotonin derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycles.
4. The pituitary is at the base of the brain and secretes hormones that help control growth, blood pressure, certain functions of the sex organs, thyroid glands and metabolism as well as some aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, water/salt concentration at the kidneys, temperature regulation and pain relief.
5. The thyroid is a two-part gland on the front of the windpipe shaped like a butterfly. It secretes thyroid hormones, which primarily influence the metabolic rate and protein synthesis. The hormones also have many other effects including those on development.
6. The thymus gland is under the breast bone in the upper chest. Within the thymus, T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts specifically to foreign invaders.
7. The pancreas is found below the stomach and it produces insulin and other important hormones.
8. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra just below the urinary bladder and secretes secrete a slightly alkaline fluid, milky or white in appearance, that in humans usually constitutes roughly 30% of the volume of the semen.
9. Olfactory glands or Bowman's glands are found in the nose, in the olfactory region. They secrete the gel-forming mucin MUC5AC(UniProtKB: P98088). They may also secrete proteins and other matter.
10. Henle glands or crypts of Henle (a 19th century German scientist) are microscopic pockets found in scattered sections of the conjunctiva around the eyeball. They are responsible for secreting mucin, a proteinous substance that makes up the inner layer of tears. It coats the cornea to provide a hydrophilic layer that allows for even distribution of the tear film. 

2 comments:

James Goodman said...

A Beach Boys pastiche in honour of the pancreas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqDBB0no6dQ

Gary Brady said...

Thanks for this link. I'm not well up on my Weird Al but that is right up my street.