Endocrine system

The endocrine system is a body-wide network of glands and hormone-producing cells that release hormones into the bloodstream. These chemical signals regulate processes including growth, metabolism, reproduction, and stress responses.

Hormone: A chemical messenger released by cells that changes the activity of target cells. Hormones carry signals from endocrine tissues to cells throughout the body.
Pituitary gland: An endocrine gland beneath the brain that releases hormones regulating growth and other glands. Its hormones control several peripheral glands, while its posterior lobe releases hypothalamic hormones.
Diabetes mellitus: A group of disorders marked by chronic high blood glucose caused by problems with insulin secretion or action. It illustrates the consequences of disrupted pancreatic hormone regulation.
Nervous system: A network of neurons and supporting cells that senses conditions and coordinates rapid electrical and chemical signals. Neural signals are often rapid and targeted, unlike hormones’ broader, longer-lasting effects.
Endocrine disruptor hypothesis: The proposition that environmental chemicals can disrupt hormonal signaling and contribute to adverse health effects. Researchers investigate which exposures cause effects, at what doses, and during which developmental windows.
Endocrine signaling: Cell-to-cell communication in which hormones travel through body fluids to distant target cells. This signaling mode distinguishes endocrine communication from local chemical signaling.
Thyroid: An endocrine gland in the neck that produces hormones regulating metabolism and supports calcium balance. Thyroid hormones set metabolic pace, making this gland central to energy regulation.
Hypothyroidism: A condition in which insufficient thyroid hormone slows metabolic processes. It shows how too little hormone from one gland affects the whole body.
Paracrine signaling: Local cell signaling in which released molecules act on nearby cells. It contrasts with endocrine signals that travel through circulation to distant targets.
Hormone-sensitive cancer: A cancer whose growth or behavior is influenced by hormones, such as some breast and prostate cancers. These cancers raise questions about how hormonal environments affect disease progression and treatment.

Linked from 40 pages