"Are your glands swollen?" "She has a gland problem." When people talk about glands, what do they mean? The answer is many different things. Glands are important organs, you have a variety of them all over your body, and though many of them are small, each produces something important. Some glands make something that is released from the body — like saliva, sweat, or tears. And if you're a girl, the mammary glands in your breasts could someday make breast milk to feed a baby. Other glands release hormones (say: HOR-mones), which are substances inside your body that tell it how to work and how to grow. Glands that do this are part of the endocrine (say: EN-doh-krin) system. Puberty — body changes that turn a kid into an adult — depend on the endocrine system. Still other things that we call "glands" are part of your immune (say: ih-MYOON) system. They release substances that help you fight off illnesses and, if you are sick, help you get better. When you have a bad cold and your neck glands are swollen, that is your immune system in action. Back to Articles Related Articles What Is the Thyroid? Do you know just how important the thyroid is? It helps you grow and affects your energy level. Read More Type 2 Diabetes: What Is It? Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, a sugar that is the body's main source of fuel. Find out more about a kind of diabetes called type 2 diabetes in this article for kids. Read More Type 1 Diabetes: What Is It? Thousands of kids all over the world have type 1 diabetes, a disease that affects how the body uses glucose. Read More All About Puberty Voice cracking? Clothes don't fit? Puberty can be a confusing time, but learning about it doesn't have to be. Read all about it in this article for kids. Read More Quiz: Endocrine System Take this quiz about the endocrine system, the system that produces hormones. Read More Your Immune System The immune system keeps you healthy. How does it work? Find out in this article for kids. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.