The endocrine system plays a critical role as a communicator in our body. Our nervous system gives quick and rapid signals to our body, whereas our endocrine system monitors slower acting responses that may span over hours, days, or even years, such as growing taller and puberty.
In addition to endocrine, you might have heard other words ending in '-crine' before, here is a summary description of them:
Endocrine: Secreting products/hormones into the bloodstream
Exocrine: Secreting products/hormones into ducts
Note: The pancreas carries out both endo- and exo-crine functions. We’ll see how later. :)