The endocrine system is said to have integrative character since the hormones produced by the endocrine glands are substances that act at a distance and many of them act in different organs of the body. So the endocrine glands receive information from some regions of the body and they can produce effects in other regions providing functional integration for the body.
Besides the endocrine system, the other physiological system that also has integrative function is the nervous system. The nervous system integrates the body through a network of nerves connected to central and peripheral neurons. The endocrine system integrates the body through hormones that travel through the circulation and are produced by the endocrine glands.
