PHYSIOLOGY FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 3
ASSIGNMENT 1
1(a) Define the term “endocrinology” (1)
Endocrinology is the study of the endocrine system and secretion of hormones with its different diseases. It is concerned with developmental events such as growth, differentiation, and the psychological or behavior of tissue function. Activities of hormones in sleep, digestion, respiration, excretion, mood, stress, lactation, movement, reproduction is involved .
1(b) Discuss the different classes of hormones and the control of their secretions (24)
Hormones of the body can be divided into different classes based on their chemical structure. Those derived from amino acids include amines and peptides and derived from lipids are steroids
Amines hormones
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The main class is the steroids which are derived from cholesterol and the eicosanoids are from fatty acids composed the plasma membrane. Steroid hormones are testosterone, estrogen and cortisol. Testosterone and estrogen are important regulators of reproductive function, secreted by the testes and the ovaries. Cortisol released by the adrenal gland due to stress and lowered levels of blood glucocorticoids is involved in stimulating glucose synthesis, anti-stress and anti-inflammatory processes. They can pass through the plasma membrane because they are lipid …show more content…
The physiological activity of different hormones depends on its concentration within the circulatory system. The effects of too high or too low a concentration can be damaging and this level must be controlled. The endocrine system relies on negative and positive feedback systems to regulate hormone production and secretion.
Negative feedback occurs when a product feeds back to decrease its own production. This type of feedback brings things back to normal whenever they start to become too extreme One distinctive feature of hormones whose secretion is regulated through the hypothalamus and pituitary is that they regulate their own secretion through negative feedback inhibition. This means is that a hormone from a peripheral gland, for example, cortisol, binds to its receptor on cells in the hypothalamus and adenohypophysis, and has the effect of inhibiting secretion of tropic hormones which is corticotropin releasing hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone. Less CRH secretion leads to less ACTH secretion, which leads to less stimulation of cortisol secretion by cells of the zona fasciculata of the adrenal
Lipid-soluble and Water-soluble hormones are products of the Endocrine gland. These hormones are transported in the body through the blood stream. However, they have different characteristics or properties that ensure their effectiveness is accomplished.
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
In conclusion, the body is a complex structure that is controlled largely by the hypothalamus. In these various functions, the hormones and the anterior pituitary carry out specific roles in order for the body to maintain homeostasis, however; if one part of these functions get out of control the body will then develop various diseases or abnormalities such as Graves disease.
CAH is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder and males and females are affected in equal numbers. Chromosome 6 is where the group of genes lie that causes the most common forms of CAH. Adrenocorticotropic hormones (ACTH) are released by the anterior lobe in the pituitary gland. Its role is to act on cells of the adrenal cortex which then synthesizes corticosteroids and cortisol. However, those with CAH have insufficient amounts of the enzyme 21-hydroxylase, needed to convert 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) into cortisol.
Cortisol is in the class of hormones called glucocorticoids and affects almost every organ in the body. One of the most important functions of cortisol is to help regulate the body’s response to stress. Cortisol is also responsible for other necessary functions including: helping to maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular functions, helping to slow the immune system’s inflammatory response, helping to balance the effects of insulin in breaking down sugars for energy, helping to regulate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and helping to maintain proper arousal of sense of well being. The amount of cortisol is precisely balanced and regulated by the brain’s hypothalamus.
Steroids are used daily in America in body building, medicine, and food production. There are three main types of steroids, Corticosteroids, Anabolic steroids, and hormone steroids. Corticosteroids are the kind of steroids doctors prescribe to patients when they are sick or have some kind of medical issue. These steroids reduce overactive immune responses and reduce swelling. Anabolic steroids are used for building muscle. They also contain a lot of testosterone. Testosterone is naturally produced by one's body but too much can cause a vast variety of problems. Hormone steroids are the steroids people put in animals (DeNoon).
The body tissues are the workers. It is their job to keep the body functioning correctly. When there is a need for more energy the workers send a signal to the administrators (and who is the administrator? The pituitary) to let the thyro...
Other hormones (glucagons, epinephrine, growth hormone, and cortisol) work to oppose the effects of insulin and are often referred to as counterregulatory hormones. These hormones work to increase blood glucose levels by stimulating glucose production and output by the liver and by decreasing the movement of glucose into the cells. Insulin and the these counterregulatory hormones provide a sustained but regulated release of glucose for energy during food intake and periods of fasting and usually maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range. An abnormal production of any or all of these hormones may be present in diabetes.
The thyroid gland is found in the front of the neck and produces two main hormones. The hormones are called thuroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Together these hormones regulate the body’s metabolism by increasing energy use in cells, regulate growth and development, help to maintain body temperature and aid in oxygen consumption. These two hormones are regulated by hormones produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hypothalamus senses changes in body’s metabolic rate and releases a hormone known as thyropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This hormone then flows through connecting vessels to the pituitary gland which signals it to release another hormone. This hormone is known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then makes its way to the bloodstream until it reaches the thyroid where it is then signaled to activate T3 and T4 production [1]. This mechanism is controlled by a negative feedback loop meaning that when there is a sufficient amount of thyroid hormones in the blood stream, this will signal back to stop production of thyroid stimulating hormones. Complications occur when the thyroid hormones keep increasing even though there is already a sufficient amount of T3 and T4 in the blood stream. This process of over expression of thryroid hormones is known as hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a general term that includes any disease that has a consequence of an overabundance of thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism is a general term but there are many variant diseases that are in the hyperthyroidism category. These diseases include diffuse toxic goiter, Basedow’s disease, thyrotoxicosis, Parry’s and Graves’ disease.
In case you who are reading this does not know steroids are any numerous naturally occurring or synthetic fat soluble organic compounds having as a basis 17 carbon atom arranged in four rings and including the sterols and bile acids, adrenal and sex hormones certain natural drugs such as digits compounds and the precursors of certain vitamins.
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.
“Steroids are any type of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds, as the sterols, bile acids, and sex hormones most of which have specific physiological action” (Dictionary.com). When our bodies are still developing, the effects of steroids can be dangerous and can also be permanent (“Above”). Steroids are made out of substances such as nandrolone, stanozolol, testosterone, fluoxymestrone, and oxandrolone. Sometimes people say when you can’t pronounce something, you probably shouldn’t use it. In the 1940’s testosterone began to be widely used in competitive sports, but the dangers of loading up on testosterone were not yet clear (“History”). Instead of using steroids for a bad reason, there is a medicinal purpose. Cortisteroids can treat arthritis, asthma, lupus and multiple sclerosis, eczema and rashes, and some types of cancer (“Steroids: Medline”). Also, steroids can be used to treat anemia, to improve weight loss due to severe illness, and to treat osteoporosis. Steroids can only be sold to you by a pharmacist f...
It is the idea that the mind and body are not separate entities. Rather, they are intricately connected, interacting with each other in many ways. The body's three main regulatory systems are the central nervous system (which includes the brain), the endocrine system (which produces hormones), and the immune system. These three systems work together and affect one another. Researchers who study the mind-body connection examine these interactions, and are particularly interested in the effects of emotions and thoughts on physical health.
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
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,