Which type of gland releases hormones directly into the bloodstream without ducts?

• A. Exocrine glands
• B. Endocrine glands
• C. Mixed glands
• D. Lymph glands

Answer: (B)

Endocrine glands are ductless, meaning they release hormones directly into the bloodstream. This allows hormones to travel through the blood to distant target cells that have specific receptors, enabling widespread or long-range effects in the body. In contrast, exocrine glands use ducts to carry secretions to a surface or body cavity (like sweat glands on the skin or digestive enzymes traveling through the pancreatic duct). Mixed glands have both endocrine and exocrine components, so they aren’t solely ductless. Lymph glands (lymph nodes) are immune tissue, not hormone-secreting glands. So the type that releases hormones directly into the bloodstream without ducts is the endocrine glands.