Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Endocrinology: Modern Practical Nursing Series
    Endocrinology: Modern Practical Nursing Series
    Endocrinology: Modern Practical Nursing Series
    Ebook265 pages5 hours

    Endocrinology: Modern Practical Nursing Series

    By John C Small and Michael J Clarke-Williams

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Endocrinology presents the study of the endocrine system, including a number of specialized organs found in the different areas of the body. The book enumerates the different endocrine glands of the endocrine system, and then details how each gland functions and the parts they play in the metabolism and normal function of the human body. The book also cited disorders of the endocrine system and their treatments. Physicians, nurses, pathologists, endocrinologists, and students of medicine will find this book a good reference.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherElsevier Science
    Release dateMar 3, 2014
    ISBN9781483141220
    Endocrinology: Modern Practical Nursing Series

    Related to Endocrinology

    Related ebooks

    Medical For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Cracking The Caffeine Code

      Feb 27, 2020

      Cracking The Caffeine Code
      3 min read

    • Article

      With the Nobel Prizes Around the Corner, It’s Crystal Ball Time

      Sep 25, 2017

      The scientists who pioneered immunotherapy and other cancer advances are among the favorites for this year's Nobel Prizes, which will be announced the first week of October.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Controversial Study Challenges Scientific Consensus That Adult Brains Make New Neurons

      Mar 7, 2018

      A controversial study published Wednesday concludes that the adult human brain does not produce any new neurons, contrary to dozens of experiments over the last 20 years.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Listen To The Beat

      Feb 5, 2019

      Listen To The Beat
      2 min read

    • Article

      Energy Medicine

      May 23, 2021

      Energy Medicine
      4 min read

    • Article

      Holistic Therapies For ALS

      Mar 11, 2022

      Q A friend of mine has just been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He’s been prescribed riluzole, but are there any complementary and alternative therapies that might be able to help? A.P., via email A Amyotrophic lateral scleros

      5 min read

    • Article

      Thyroid Hormone Shows Promise For Fighting Liver Disease

      Sep 13, 2018

      A thyroid hormone shows promise in fighting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with diabetes, according to new research. The disease, a major global health problem characterized by accumulation of fat in the liver, develops in patients wit

      2 min read

    • Article

      Diabetes Research: WHAT’S NEW?

      Oct 13, 2018

      Diabetes Research: WHAT’S NEW?
      5 min read

    • Article

      Exercise Intolerance

      Jun 25, 2019

      Exercise Intolerance
      5 min read

    • Article

      This Kind Of RNA Could Contribute To Fatty Liver

      Jul 31, 2018

      Scientists have uncovered a potential new role for long noncoding RNA in obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease—an accumulation of too much fat in the liver that affects an estimated 64 million Americans and increases their risk for cirrhosis a

      2 min read

    • Article

      Healthspan Is The New Longevity

      Nov 9, 2020

      Healthspan Is The New Longevity
      13 min read

    • Article

      Skin Transplants Could Treat Diabetes and Obesity

      Aug 10, 2017

      Skin transplantation could be an effective way to deliver gene therapy to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research in mice suggests. The technique could enable a wide range of gene-based therapies to treat many human diseases. “We think this c

      3 min read

    • Article

      Recent Medical Findings For A Healthier Body

      Aug 8, 2018

      COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON Researchers from China and the UK set out to examine the associations between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease, major coronary events, haemorrhagic stroke and ischaemic stroke. They used dat

      2 min read

    • Article

      Deep Brain Stimulation May Be Treatment For Binge Eating Disorder, Study Suggests

      Aug 31, 2022

      A well-timed jolt of high-frequency electricity to a region of the brain implicated in food cravings appears to tamp down the impulses at the heart of binge eating disorder, researchers report. Out-of-control eating that causes shame, regret or healt

      4 min read

    • Article

      GETTING TO THE Root Cause

      Feb 7, 2019

      GETTING TO THE Root Cause
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Endocrinology

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Endocrinology - John C Small

      Wiltshire

      Introduction

      The endocrine system consists of a number of specialised organs located in different areas of the body. They are called endocrine glands and each produces individual secretions. The products of endocrine glands are called hormones. They pass directly into the blood stream and not through organised ducts, as bile is passed through the biliary apparatus. Because of this characteristic the endocrine gland is also called the ductless gland.

      Hormones are complex chemical substances which affect the body by exerting a specific action on organs or groups of cells. Although their action is difficult to define hormones play an active part in metabolism and the normal function of organs and systems. The glands of the endocrine system are:

      1. 

      Pituitary or hypophysis

      2. 

      Thyroid

      3. 

      Parathyroids

      4. 

      Islet cells of the pancreas

      5. 

      Adrenals

      6. 

      Gonads – testis (male), ovary (female)

      Metabolic processes of the body are initiated by stimuli of either chemical or nervous origin. The nerve response acts quickly but is of short duration whereas the chemical response acts slowly and is active for a longer period. For many years it was thought that the nervous and endocrine systems functioned independently but research has discovered much evidence showing that the inter-relationship is closer than previously imagined. This particularly involves the hypothalamus which is a part of the nervous system closely associated anatomically with the pituitary gland.

      The most important endocrine gland is the pituitary for among its secretions are a number of hormones affecting other glands of the system. These hormones are called ‘trophic’ hormones because their presence in the circulation stimulates other glands, called ‘target’ organs, at which they are directed. The concentration of hormone secreted by the target gland in the blood, or the variety of body chemistry created by it, passes back to the pituitary gland. This passage of chemical information is called ‘feed back’ and allows the pituitary gland to control the action of the target gland by regulating the output of trophic hormone. This either increases or reduces the target gland secretion, thus balancing circulating hormones constantly. This pituitary effect is not active on all glands in the system.

      Intro:1 The endocrine glands

      Intro:2 The feed back mechanism

      Disorders of the endocrine system can be divided into three groups.

      1. 

      Oversecretion

      2. 

      Undersecretion

      3. 

      Secretion of abnormal hormones

      The body’s ability to store hormones is limited with the notable exception of the thyroid gland. Compensation for this unstable situation is the power of each gland to produce its secretions efficiently when stimulated. Hormones are broken down in the liver and excreted through the normal routes.

      The treatment of endocrine disorders include the administration of hormones which are prescribed to create a variety of responses.

      1 Replacement

      Hormones will be given to patients to replace a deficiency caused by undersecretion or even complete failure of the gland.

      2 Stimulation

      Trophic hormones can be given to stimulate their target organ in cases of pituitary failure.

      3 Retardation

      Hormones can be given to retard the effect of abnormal body processes.

      4 Reduction of inflammation

      Some hormones reduce inflammatory conditions, particularly of allergic origin.

      Hormones used therapeutically are obtained either from animal glands or by chemical synthesis. The latter is to be preferred for its greater purity and the reduction of allergic reactions due to protein sensitivity. They can be administered orally, rectally or by injection. Oral hormones are limited to those not inactivated by gastric secretions. Other methods include skin cream, eye drops, snuff and the implantation of pellets for slow absorption.

      1

      The Pituitary Gland

      Publisher Summary

      The pituitary gland, or hypophysis cerebri, is a small pea-shaped organ weighing 0.5gm. It lies at the base of the brain behind and below the crossing optic nerve fibers in the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid bone. The gland is attached to the base of the brain by a short stalk, the infundibulum. The pituitary gland is divided into two parts, the anterior and posterior lobes. The anterior lobe develops from the posterior aspect of the pharynx in the roof of the mouth, called Rathke’s pouch. It is glandular in structure and called the adenohypophysis (adeno gland). The posterior lobe develops as a down growth of the brain to which it is attached by the infundubular stalk. It contains a network of nervous tissue and is called the neurohypophysis (neuronerve). This chapter provides an overview of the hormones that are secreted from the adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis. The chapter also discusses the major disorders of the pituitary gland, which are caused due to an undersecretion or an oversecretion of the hormones. A common cause of pituitary dysfunction is a tumor, which can vary in size and type. They may also cause symptoms of raised intracranial pressure such as headache.

      The pituitary gland, or hypophysis cerebri, is a small pea-shaped organ weighing 0.5gm. It lies at the base of the brain behind and below the crossing optic nerve fibres in the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid bone. This cavity is also called the ‘sella turcica’ because of its resemblance to the shape of a turkish saddle. Four small protruberances, the clinoid processes, extend over the enclosed gland to complete its protection. The gland is attached to the base of the brain by a short stalk, the infundibulum.

      Fig 1:1 Lateral section of skull showing pituitary gland

      The pituitary gland is divided into two parts, the anterior and posterior lobes; although anatomically related the two lobes are different in origin, structure and function. In the embryo they are

      Fig 1:2 Three stages in the development of the pituitary gland

      derived from separate sites. The anterior lobe develops from the posterior aspect of the pharynx in the roof of the mouth, called Rathke’s pouch. It is glandular in structure and called the adenohypophysis (adeno gland). The posterior lobe develops as a down growth of the brain to which it is attached by the infundubular stalk. It contains a network of nervous tissue and is called the neurohypophysis (neuro nerve).

      Like other endocrine glands the pituitary is a very vascular organ, secreting its hormones directly into the circulation. Branches of the internal carotid and posterior communicating arteries – the superior and inferior hypophyseal arteries – supply blood to the infundibular stem and the posterior lobe. Other branches of the internal carotid artery form a capillary network in the hypothalamus leading to a portal system supplying the anterior lobe. The whole complex drains into the hypophyseal veins.

      The nerve supply of the pituitary gland is concentrated in the posterior lobe; nerve fibres originating in the hypothalamus descend through the hypophyseal tract and infiltrate the tissues of the lobe. It is thought that secretions of the posterior lobe originate in the hypothalamus and pass down into the gland through small vessels. There is no distinct nerve supply to the anterior lobe although the hypothalamus has a relationship to its function by the passage of hormones via a network of capillaries.

      Six hormones are known to be secreted from the adenohypophysis. They are produced from the two types of cells, the acidophils and the basophils. They are trophic in character so that they exert a physiological control over specific distant organs.

      1. Somatotrophic or human growth hormone (HGH)

      2. Mammotrophin or lactogenic hormone

      3. Thyrotrophic or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

      4. Corticotrophic or adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)

      5. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

      6. Luteinising, or interstitial cell stimulating hormone (LH or ICSH)

      Two hormones only are secreted from the neurohypophysis.

      1. Vasopressin (Pitressin), or the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)

      2. Oxytocin (Pitocin)

      In common with other glands of the system the major disorders are due to an undersecretion or an oversecretion of the hormones.

      Fig 1:3 Section through the pituitary gland

      Fig 1:4 Organs affected by pituitary hormones

      Adenohypophysis – anterior lobe

      Somatotrophic hormone

      One function of the anterior lobe is the secretion of a hormone associated with growth. Although its specific action is not fully understood it exerts a powerful effect on the development of body cells, particularly in bone tissue. It is most effective in youth and once growth has stopped it is thought to play a part in repairing and replacing body tissue. Its action is interrelated with other hormones involved in tissue metabolism, notably insulin; for hypoglycaemia stimulates the secretion of growth hormone.

      Disorders of growth hormone cause abnormal changes in body size and structure. Because the hormone is most active in childhood any dysfunction is emphasised in the younger age

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1