Printable ScholarEndocrine System Diagram
Free printable endocrine system diagram — a labeled illustration showing the body's hormone-producing glands including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas and more. Download a high-resolution PDF or PNG for Letter paper.
Part of the Endocrine System teaching pack for grades 6 to 8 (introductory level): 26 lesson slides and 8 printables with answer keys. The diagram and the blank one to label are free.
Teaching ideas for Endocrine System
Pick the ideas that suit your class, then follow the plan or use the sheets in any order.
- Place the glands. Draw a simple body outline on big paper. Students stick on name cards for the nine glands where they belong, then check against the labeled diagram.
- Send a message. One student is the pituitary gland. Others are the thyroid gland, adrenal glands and ovaries. Messengers carry paper notes from the pituitary gland to each one, as hormones travel in the blood.
A plan for the week
| Day 1 | Open with one of the ideas above. Teach the lesson with the slides while students fill in the guided notes. Then students label the blank diagram. | Lesson slides (PowerPoint) (in the pack) Endocrine System Guided Notes (in the pack) Endocrine System Diagram Blank Endocrine System |
| Day 2 | Students work out which glands are where on “Read the Diagram” and how hormones travel between them, and answer the questions. | Read the Diagram (in the pack) |
| Day 3 | Read “The Body’s Chemical Messengers” and answer the questions. | The Body’s Chemical Messengers (in the pack) |
| Day 4 | Students read what eight hormones do and write the gland that makes each one. | Which Gland Makes It? (in the pack) |
| Day 5 | Review with the crossword, then give the quiz. | Endocrine System Crossword (in the pack) Endocrine System Quiz (in the pack) |
The sheets marked “in the pack” are in the Endocrine System teaching pack below.
NGSS standards
- Supports MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
Endocrine System teaching pack
Teaching the endocrine system? Here is a ready-to-teach lesson. 26 slides and 8 printables that cover the glands and their hormones, from the guided notes to the quiz. Present the slides while students fill in the guided notes, then use the worksheets, crossword and quiz, with every answer key.
Free on this page: the diagram and the blank one to label, marked Download below. The whole pack is $7: 18 pages in one print-ready file, the 26 lesson slides, the practice sheets, the crossword, the quiz and every answer key.
OnlineThe pack also comes as an online lesson for Google Classroom: every part on screen for students, plus a self-grading Google Forms quiz.
One-time purchase. Instant download. Secure checkout by Stripe. Want to see a whole pack first? The Cells pack is free.See all 18 packs in the bundle
- Cells
- Mitosis
- DNA
- Heredity and Punnett Squares
- Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Effect
- The Nitrogen Cycle
- Excretory System
- Endocrine System (this pack)
- Immune System
- Layers of the Skin
- Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes
- Life Cycle of a Star
- Parts of an Atom
- The Periodic Table
- Physical and Chemical Changes
- Balancing Chemical Equations
- Waves and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Acids, Bases and the pH Scale
Teach Endocrine System with 26 ready-made slides
Open the PowerPoint and teach: an opening question, the parts one at a time on the diagram, quick checks and an exit question. Students fill in the guided notes sheet as you go.
Every slide comes with teacher notes: what to say, what to ask, and sample answers.
The slides (PowerPoint and a PDF copy) and the guided notes sheet come with the pack.
What is in the pack, in teaching order
In the pack
1. TeachLesson Slides26 slides to present, with your notes for each one.In the $7 pack
In the pack
1. TeachEndocrine System Guided NotesStudents fill in the blanks as you present. With answer key.In the $7 pack
Free
Free
In the pack
3. ReasonRead the DiagramRead the endocrine system picture: find the glands by where they sit, and work out how hormones from one gland reach another.In the $7 pack
In the pack
4. ReadThe Body’s Chemical MessengersA one-page text on glands, hormones and how they keep the body in balance, with eight questions.In the $7 pack
In the pack
5. ConnectWhich Gland Makes It?Read what eight hormones do and write the gland that makes each one.In the $7 pack
In the pack
6. ReviewEndocrine System CrosswordFifteen endocrine system words with clues and a word bank.In the $7 pack
In the pack
7. CheckEndocrine System QuizLabel five glands, six multiple choice and two written answers. Scored out of 13.In the $7 pack
Endocrine System worksheets, crossword and quiz
The Endocrine System teaching pack is 26 lesson slides (PowerPoint and PDF) and 8 printables with answer keys for grades 6 to 8 (introductory level), in the order you would teach them: the guided notes for the lesson slides, the labeled diagram and the blank one to label, then “Read the Diagram” (a worksheet), “The Body’s Chemical Messengers” (a reading passage), “Which Gland Makes It?” (a hormone table), a vocabulary crossword and a quiz.
The sheets are in a suggested teaching order: teach the lesson, have students label the blank diagram, then work through the practice sheets and finish with the quiz. Use them all over a week or pick the ones you need. The answer keys are together at the back.
The diagram and the blank one to label are free to download on this page. The other sheets come with the pack ($7), which is also in the Middle School Science bundle (grades 5 to 10).
The glands of the endocrine system
The endocrine system is a network of glands that release hormones directly into the bloodstream to regulate growth, metabolism, mood, and many other body functions. Here is what happens at each labeled part of the diagram:
| Gland | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothalamus | The master regulator in the brain — it links the nervous system to the endocrine system. | Sitting at the base of the brain about the size of an almond, the hypothalamus monitors the body's internal conditions (temperature, hunger, thirst, stress) and sends chemical signals to the pituitary gland to trigger hormone releases throughout the body. It is effectively the translator between the brain's electrical signals and the body's chemical signalling system. |
| Pituitary Gland | The "master gland" — it controls many other endocrine glands by releasing hormones that trigger them. | No bigger than a pea, the pituitary gland hangs from the base of the brain and releases at least eight hormones. Some act directly on the body (like growth hormone and oxytocin); others act as messengers that tell the thyroid, adrenal glands, or reproductive organs to release their own hormones. Removing or damaging the pituitary affects nearly every other endocrine gland in a cascade. |
| Pineal Gland | Produces melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. | Deep inside the brain, this tiny gland responds to light signals relayed from the eyes and produces more melatonin in the dark, signalling to the body that it is night and time to sleep. Bright screens before bed suppress melatonin production, shifting the sleep signal later — one reason devices are associated with difficulty falling asleep. |
| Thyroid Gland | Produces hormones that control the rate of metabolism throughout the body. | Wrapped around the trachea in the neck, the butterfly-shaped thyroid produces thyroxine, which acts like a throttle for every cell in the body — setting the rate at which cells use energy. An overactive thyroid revs the body up (causing weight loss, rapid heartbeat, anxiety); an underactive one slows everything down (causing fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance). Iodine in the diet is essential for making thyroid hormone, which is why table salt is routinely iodized. |
| Parathyroid Glands | Four tiny glands behind the thyroid that regulate calcium levels in the blood. | Despite sitting right behind the thyroid, the parathyroid glands have a completely different function: they monitor blood calcium and release parathyroid hormone to pull calcium from bones into the blood when levels drop. Calcium is critical for muscle contraction and nerve signalling, so these four glands — each about the size of a grain of rice — quietly prevent muscle cramps and nerve problems around the clock. |
| Thymus | Trains immune cells (T-cells) in childhood; shrinks in adulthood. | The thymus sits in the upper chest behind the sternum and is largest during childhood, when it is busy maturing T-lymphocytes — the white blood cells that become the immune system's targeted attackers. By puberty it begins to shrink and is largely replaced by fat by adulthood, but the T-cells it trained continue protecting the body for a lifetime. |
| Adrenal Glands | Sit on top of the kidneys and produce adrenaline and cortisol for the stress response. | Each adrenal gland has two distinct layers with completely different functions: the inner medulla releases adrenaline (epinephrine) for immediate "fight or flight" responses, while the outer cortex releases cortisol and other steroids for longer-term stress regulation. The surge of strength, tunnel vision, and racing heart you feel in a sudden emergency is adrenaline hitting your muscles and heart within seconds of a stressful event. |
| Pancreas | Produces insulin and glucagon to regulate blood sugar levels. | The pancreas has two jobs: producing digestive enzymes (its exocrine role) and releasing hormones into the blood (its endocrine role). Insulin lowers blood sugar by helping cells absorb glucose; glucagon raises it by triggering the liver to release stored glucose. In type 1 diabetes, the cells that produce insulin are destroyed by the immune system — patients must inject insulin externally because without it, blood sugar rises to dangerous levels. |
| Ovaries | Produce oestrogen and progesterone, which regulate the reproductive cycle and development. | The ovaries do two jobs: releasing eggs for potential fertilisation and producing the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Oestrogen drives the development of female secondary sex characteristics during puberty and regulates the monthly reproductive cycle. At menopause, when the ovaries stop producing significant oestrogen, the hormonal shift affects bone density, body temperature regulation, and mood — reflecting just how widely oestrogen acts across the body. |
How to print
Choose Download PDF for a ready-to-print file that fits US Letter paper (8.5 × 11") in portrait, or Download PNG for the high-resolution image.
Frequently asked questions
What does the endocrine system do?
It produces and releases hormones — chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream to control growth, metabolism, mood, reproduction, and many other body functions.
What is the difference between the endocrine and nervous systems?
The nervous system sends fast electrical signals; the endocrine system sends slower chemical signals (hormones) that have broader, longer-lasting effects.
What paper size should I print this on?
The diagram is sized for standard US Letter paper (8.5 × 11") in portrait orientation. Use "Download PDF" for a print-ready file that fits the page automatically.
Are there Endocrine System worksheets to go with the diagram?
Yes. The Endocrine System teaching pack, for grades 6 to 8 (introductory level), has 26 lesson slides and 8 printables with answer keys: the guided notes for the lesson slides, the labeled diagram and the blank one to label, then “Read the Diagram” (a worksheet), “The Body’s Chemical Messengers” (a reading passage), “Which Gland Makes It?” (a hormone table), a vocabulary crossword and a quiz. The diagram and the blank one to label are free to download on this page. The other sheets come with the pack ($7), which is also in the Middle School Science bundle (grades 5 to 10).