The endocrine system is very dynamic and has ties to most, if not all of the other major systems of the body. It is responsible for production of hormones and the regulation of them as well. These hormones act as chemical messengers within the body. Through several differing mechanisms, they are able to trigger very specific responses in target cells or organs. This is what enables the endocrine system to guide growth, development, reproduction, and behavior, among many others as well.
The hormones produced from the endocrine system come from a wide range of different places. Among those responsible for hormone production are the glands and a few organs as well. The glands that are involved are the pituitary, thyroid, thymus, parathyroid, and adrenal. The organs, which also play a vital part, are the pancreas, gonads, kidneys, heart, and parts of the digestive tract. All these different glands or organs work together in the production of certain hormones. Those produced in one location will almost always have an effect on many other areas of the body, not just the surrounding tissues.
An analogy that fits very well with the study of the endocrine system is that of a message in a bottle. We can think of the body as a river, and a specific hormone may be a bottle containing a message. The organs or glands mentioned above would manufacture the “bottles'; (hormones) that would be released into the river (blood stream). If there were no receptor sites for the hormones in the body, then they would continue to flow along the river and probably not make their destination. However, there are systems of receptor sites that enable specific hormones to bind in specific places. Structure also plays a major role in determining which hormones are able to bind to which receptors.
When these “messages in bottles'; reach their appointed destination, the binding into the receptor site causes a cascade of reactions to occur. It is these reactions that are vital in maintaining our homeostasis. Many times the binding of the receptor site causes a direct expression of a certain gene. This is where endocrine disrupters can exert major damage. In addition to gene expression, endocrine disrupters cause havoc in many other areas of the body. What exactly are endocrine disrupting chemicals?
Endocrine disrupters are chemical agents that produce reversible or irreversible effects in individuals or populations by interfering with hormone function.
According to the text, “Lipid-soluble hormones are small in size, and has low solubility in aqueous fluid (Chapter 17, p. 573)”. Because of the property of this hormone, the probability of getting eliminated in the blood stream or the body is high. If this happens, these hormones can be eliminated through the kidneys. So in order for these hormones to not be eradicated in the system, it will need assistance from a binding protein.
The location of the pituitary gland is in the sella turcica of the sphenoid bone and attaches to the hypothalamus(Marieb & Hoehn 441). The Hypothalamus is included in the function of the pituitary gland as it sends chemical stimulus to it(Marieb & Hoehn 442).Part of the pituitary is called the “ master endocrine gland” due to the fact that is produces many hormones that affect the whole body(Shannon 175).This part of the pituitary gland is called the anterior pituitary(Marieb & Hoehn 601). There are six hormones that the anterior pituitary secretes normally. These Hormones are growth hormones,thyroid stimulating hormones,adrenocorticotropic hormones,luteinizing hormones,follicle stimulating hormones and prolactin hormones( Shannon 175).The Hormone prolactin is one that in normal function stimulates the act of lactation for new mothers to feed their baby(Shannon 175).
While the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are most reliant on one another, all body systems require a functioning circulatory cycle in order to thrive. Blood circulation and consistent transfer of oxygen to cells is required to maintain cell and tissue life. Disturbances to this process will cause cells and tissues to die (Red Cross 48). This state of balance and functioning body systems is referred to as homeostasis, defined as a “condition of equilibrium in the body’s internal environment due to constant interaction of body’s many regulatory processes” (Tortura 8). Changes or disruptions to homeostasis are regulated by the Endocrine and Nervous systems of the body. The endocrine system is made up of glands placed throughout the body
“High levels of hormones can cause problems in the human body, but can hormones we ingest really alter our hormone level...
The thyroid organ, though small, impacts every cell in the body by providing metabolism regulation (endocrine web). This butterfly-shaped, endocrine organ located at the neck, secretes hormones to control the body’s metabolism - or the way the body uses energy that help the body with energy, manage heat, and help organs such as the heart and brain function properly (thyroid.org). When not functioning properly, thyroid dysfunctions occur disrupting the three points of control: the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland. Common thyroid disorders include Hashimoto’s, Graves’ disease, thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, and nodules or goiters (health line).
The prevalence of diagnosed endocrinological disorders has increased during the 20th century and into the 21st century. These disorders interfere in the day to day lives of those who have them. A common disorder of the endocrine system is diabetes, type 1 and type 2. While there have been many treatment methods used of the years the use of biotechnology like recombinant DNA technology has revolutionized and standardized the treatments.
The thyroid gland plays a major role in the endocrine, thyroxine, triiodothyronine and metabolism system. The gland can be found in the front of the neck and above where the collar bones meet. The thyroid gland controls the body by releasing T4 and T3 hormones. Controlling metabolism plays an important role when regulating mood, weight,
Endocrinology can be defined as the study of the structure and function of the endocrine system (Tortora & Grabowski 1996). The endocrine system is composed cells, known as endocrine cells, which are distributed around the body and produce the chemical messengers known as hormones. Following secretion by endocrine cells, hormones travel in the blood where they affect tissues outside of their tissue of origin - and are therefore a form of cellular communication. In multicellular organisms, such as humans, cellular communication is essential for a number of body processes and the maintenance of homeostasis (Campbell, N.A. et al. 2015). In this essay, I am going to outline some of a number of body
The endocrine system is the system of the human body that controls body functions through the use of hormones, which are chemicals that the endocrine system releases into the bloodstream (Utiger). One of the things that the endocrine system regulates is stress (Rx. Reduce Stress). When a person feels stressed, a chain of events unfold.
Chemical pollution into the environment can cause both genotypic and phenotypic changes in many organisms, including humans. More specifically, environmental pollutants like BPA can act as xenoestrogens (estrogen imitators), ultimately affecting hormonal activity and production in an organism. This alteration in activity and production can be termed as endocrine disruption. The endocrine system regulates a variety of processes responsible for growth and development, including gonadal formation and function, digestion, metabolism, sex differentiation, and embryonic development (reviewed by Flint et al., 2012). Chemicals that interfere with the function or structure of the endocrine system can be defined as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2007).
This is one of the major reasons that his death is seemingly unimportant. Additionally, the sequence of events contributes to the neglect of Frank’s character. Seemingly focusing on the actions that take place after Frank’s death. The first scene opens at Frank’s burial, from which readers are transported directly to Matt and his disgust for Richard. The lack of foreground information on either Frank or his death focuses the story on Matt and how he and his wife cope with their loss. Furthermore, the retelling of Frank’s death is very brief and abrupt, implying Matt is more focused on Richard and Mary Ann rather than on his son’s death. The narrator even devotes a whole paragraph, nearly half a page, to Matt describing and admiring Mary Ann, while only dedicating four sentences to describe Frank’s death. Additionally, the fact that Richard acts as the subject in the sentence, “Richard Strout shot Frank in front of the boys,” further suggests that Matt’s emphasis is placed on Strout rather than Frank (Dubus 1180). Without stopping to contemplate why Richard kills Frank, Matt is immediately concerned with the hatred and disgust both he and his wife feel toward Strout, These feelings are evident in his planned and much desired murder. There is a similar pattern of events surrounding Lieutenant
During recent years, numerous newspaper and magazine articles have suggested that humans may be at risk because small amounts of well known environmental contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, can affect hormone levels. Hormones are produced by the endocrine system as regulators of biological function in target organs. Because hormones play a critical role in early development, toxicological effects on the endocrine system often have an impact on the reproductive system. The term endocrine disruptor is used to describe chemicals that can mimic hormones and may either enhance or counteract their effects. It has been suggested that these hormone changes can, in turn, lead to a variety of health problems including cancer, decreased fertility, and abnormalities in newborns.
The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system, and it is controlled by the pituitary which is known as the “master gland” of the endocrine system. The pituitary controls the thyroid by producing Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which stimulates the production of thyroid hormones. . The thyroid gland secretes two main hormones: Thyroxine (T4) and Tri-Iodothyronine (T3). These hormones increase metabolic rate, heat production, oxygen consumption, appetite, growth hormone secretion, alertness and quicker reflexes. The thyroid gland is located in the anterior portion of the neck, beneath the Adam’s apple. It is divided in two lobes on either side of the windpipe: right lobe and left lobe. These lobes create what looks like a butterfly shape. The gland is essential to the contribution of maintaining the homeostasis of the body. It plays a role in monitoring the body’s expenditure of energy and running the body’s metabolism.
Each gland of the endocrine system is responsible for the releasing of different hormones, and those hormones trigger different activities in different places of the body. Hypothalamus, pineal body, anterior and posterior pituitary glands, adrenal gland, and thyroid gland are the main glands of the endocrine system while there are some other associated glands, as well. The endocrine system is known to be as the chemical information system. Some of the main functions of this system have to do with growth and development, metabolism, tissue function, sexual function, mood swings,
...culatory system. Pituitary gland is a growth hormone that helps in mertabolism and develops reproductive organs. The thyroid controls metabolsim on the rate that the body breaks down food. Adrenal gland secretes many hormones including adrenaline which prepares the body to react in a stressful situation. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes and insulin. Ovaries produce ova and estrogen. Testes produce sperm cells and testosterone. To stay healthy you should get a regular medical check-up, eat a well-balanced diet, sleep at least 8 hours, and decrease stress in your life. Some problems are growth disorders, diabetes, and obesity. Puberty begins at different times for girls then boys. Girls start around ages 9-13 and boys are ages 10-15.