...A variety of chemicals have been shown to disrupt female reproductive function throughout the lifespan in laboratory animals and humans (e.g., diethylstilbestrol). These effects include the disruption of normal sexual differentiation, ovarian function (i.e., follicular growth, ovulation, corpus luteum formation and maintenance), fertilization, implantation, and pregnancy. Only a few agents are associated with direct interference with the endocrine reproductive axis. Examples are those with estrogenic activity or the potential to interact with the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor. Exposure to toxicants during development is of particular concern because many feedback mechanisms functioning in the adult are absent and adverse effects may be noted at doses lower than those observed in the adult. Endometriosis is a painful reproductive and immunologic disease of women characterized by aberrant location of uterine endometrial cells. It affects approximately 5 million women in the United States from 15 to 45 years of age and often causes infertility. The etiology of this disease is unknown. In a single study with a small number of animals, research has suggested a link between dioxin exposure and the development of endometriosis in rhesus monkeys. The severity of this lesion was dependent on the dose administered. Recently, a small pilot study to test the hypothesis that serum dioxin concentrations have an association with human endometriosis has been reported. No statistically significant...
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...Name: C.T.B. Assignment: “Our Stolen Future” Date: 12/03/2012 The Book “Our Stolen Future” is considered to be a sequel of “Silent Spring“, a Rachel’s Carson classic work, a clarion call to protect the American public from manmade synthetic pesticides that cause genetic mutations and cancer. Carson not only described how persistent chemicals were contaminating the natural world, she documented how those chemicals where accumulated into our bodies. Since then, studies of human breast milk and body fat have confirmed the extent of our exposure. Human beings in such remote locations as Canada’s far northern Baffin Island now carry traces of persistent chemicals in their bodies, including notorious compounds as PCBs, DDT and dioxin. Even worse, in the womb and through breast milk, mothers pass this chemical legacy on to the next generation. “Our Stolen Future”, the scientific discovery of Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski and John Peterson Myers, takes up where Carson left off and reviews a large and growing body of scientific evidence, linking synthetic chemicals to aberrant sexual development and behavioral and reproductive problems, such as low sperm counts, infertility, genital deformities, hormonally triggered human cancers, like those of breast and prostate gland, neurological disorders in children such as hyperactivity and deficits in attention. The quality of men's sperm declined steadily in the early years of the 21st century until hardly anyone could reproduce in...
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...People find it hard to believe that products they use every day can be harmful to them and the environment. The hazards of endocrine disruptors have been observed for some years, and nothing is done about it. American farmers pour five times the amount of chemicals on their crops than do European farmers, thereby polluting our water and oceans creating enormous dead zones. Chemicals used on crops that are banned in Europe are allowed here in the USA. In addition to, plastics and a host of chemical compounds belched into the environment by a largely unregulated industry worldwide, I would add pharmaceuticals. How many times do people flush expired or no-longer-needed drugs down the toilet? They eventually find their way into the water supply,...
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...Bisphensol A and It’s Side Effects to the Nervous and Endocrine System Anatomy and Physiology 201 November 7, 2012 Abstract Bisphensol A (BPA) is a synthetic compound that is used to produce plastics. This chemical has been used to make plastics since the 1950’s. BPA is made from chemicals that mimic the sex hormone “Estradiol.” Estradiol is a sex hormone found in both female and male. Therefore, BPA is known to be an endocrine disruptor; it is a compound that exits everywhere in the environment and also in the human body. There have been many meetings with the discussion of studies about BPA causing numerous diseases to the human body. These meetings were held with a diverse collection of researchers which include: wildlife biologists, endocrinologists, reproductive physiologists, and toxicologists. The endocrine system is one of the organ systems dedicated to maintaining internal coordination of the human body, which communicates by means of chemical messenger or hormones secreted into the blood. New research has been exposed to show that a low dose of BPA has an association to adverse health effects, which include reproductive abnormalities, obesity, neurobehavioral problems, prostate and breast cancer. Bisphensol A and The Nervous and Endocrine System Bisphensol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical that is used to produce plastics. This chemical has been used to make plastics since the 1950’s. BPA is made from chemicals that mimic the sex hormone estradiol...
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...dioxin, are known to cause an array of serious health problems, including cancers and endocrine disruption. Of the more than 75,000 chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, only a fraction have gone through complete testing to find out whether they might cause problems for human health. Many that are produced in enormous quantities have never been tested at all. Usually, it takes dramatic episodes of workplace injuries or wildlife poisonings, combined with rigorous scientific proof of harm and public outcry, before the government will act to restrict or ban any chemical. And that is no accident. The current regulatory system allows synthetic chemicals into our lives unless proven beyond doubt to be dangerous. Terms Dioxins are not intentionally manufactured. They are unintentionally formed as byproducts of chemical processes involving chlorine, such as the manufacture of pesticides and the bleaching of paper. The manufacture and incineration of plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC, commonly used in consumer product packaging and medical devices) is another major source of dioxin. Two of the most serious health effects of dioxin exposure are cancer and endocrine disruption. The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and hormones that regulate many of the body's functions including growth, development, and maturation, and the way various organs operate. The endocrine glands –- including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and...
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...result Humans are exposed to thousands of chemicals during their lifetime, through the air, food, and water. A significant number of these chemicals can be toxic since they can disrupt the endocrine system. Over the past decade, the list of chemicals with endocrine disrupting activity has dramatically increased. Natural hormones are themselves agonists and, in many cases, more than one distinct hormone binds to the same receptor. For a given receptor, different agonists can have dramatically different potencies. Antagonists are molecules that bind the receptor and block binding of the agonist, but fail to trigger intracellular signalling events. Receptors can be activated or inactivated by either endogenous (such as hormones and neurotransmitters) or exogenous (such as drugs) agonists and antagonists, resulting in the stimulation or inhibition of a biological response. A physiological agonist is a substance that creates the same bodily responses but does not bind to the same receptor. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial compound and a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical with estrogenic activity. The widespread exposure of individuals to BPA is suspected to affect a variety of physiological functions, including reproduction, development, and metabolism. Many known obesogens are Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that can act as direct ligands for nuclear hormone receptors, or affect components in metabolic signaling pathways under hormonal control. Environmental chemicals...
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...Name____________________________________________ Date ____________________ Period _______ “Poisoned Waters” Video Questions 1. What is a dead zone, and what causes one to form? (9) - an area in coastal waters where there’s no oxygen -- fertilizers from farmland end up in coastal waters; grow algae up which sucks up the oxygen when they die; areas are growing; Gulf of Mexico has one size of state of Massachusetts 2. What was the largest public demonstration in American history? -- Earth Day; ~10% of country’s population participated (20 million) 3. When was the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed? What events prompted its formation? -- 1970; in response to concerns raised at Earth Day and congressional pressure. (skip to 23:00)-- industrial waste flowing into the Chesapeake Bay (could be pig farms in NC) 4. Why does the investigator say “these rivers are delivery systems” to the bay? -- waste seeps into ground or routed by pipes into local streams/rivers and goes right into the bay 5. How do Perdue and other large chicken producers arrange to grow chickens for consumers? (~33) Why don't they raise the chickens themselves? -- contract with farmers; Purdue owns the chickens and feed and everything EXCEPT the waste 6. What is the difference in opinion about chicken manure between Perdue and other large chicken producers and the chicken farmers (represented in the film by Carole Morison)? -- Carole Morison = "a mess" -- it’s a negative, purdue should take responsibility;...
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...on chicken farming and endocrine disruptors, respond to the following questions in a different type of font: 1. How do Perdue and other large chicken producers arrange to grow chickens for consumers? contract with farmers 2. Why don't they raise the chickens themselves? Purdue owns the chickens and feed and everything except the waste 3. What is the difference in opinion about chicken manure between Perdue and other large chicken producers and the chicken farmers (represented in the film by Carole Morison)? Carole Morison = "a mess" it’s a negative, purdue should take responsibility; Purdue = “a resource” farmers should consider it a valuable resource 4. Do you agree with Perdue or Carole Morison? I agree with Carole Morison 5. Why? the farmers should not be directly held accountable for the runoff pollution that the manure causes 6. What do you understand to be the effect of endocrine disruptors? eggs in the testes (feminization of male fish) interrupt normal body functions, such as thyroid, hormones, sex characteristics, multiple (or missing) legs on frogs 7. Which part of the segment on endocrine disruptors did you find most interesting or disturbing? the intersex with the fish 8. Why? (Cite details.) they couldn’t tell what the sex of the fish were 9. Based on the information in the documentary, do you believe that the effects of endocrine disruptors on fish relate to humans...
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...The glands in human body are of two types. One is exocrine glands and the other is endocrine glands. Endocrine glands These are ductless glands that secrete substances directly into the blood and which influence metabolism, body growth, development, activity, repair and other bodily functions. The endocrine glands are the glands of internal secretion. Below are the major endocrine glands in the endocrine system; Pituitary gland – The Pituitary gland is sometimes called the "master" gland of the endocrine system, because it controls the functions of the other endocrine glands. The Pituitary gland is no larger than a pea, and is located at the base of the brain. The gland is attached to the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that affects the pituitary gland) by nerve fibres. The Pituitary gland itself consists of three sections: • the anterior lobe • the intermediate lobe • the posterior lobe The anterior lobe produces hormones stimulating the Thyroid gland, the Adrenal glands, ovarian follicles, Ovaries and Testes. It also produces hormones to stimulate milk production in females after giving birth. The intermediate lobe produces hormones that control the skins pigmentation. The posterior lobe produces hormones to increase absorption of water into the blood by the kidneys and hormones to contract the uterus during childbirth and stimulate milk production. Pineal gland – The Pineal gland is about the size of a pea, and is in the centre of the brain in a tiny cave...
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...How do hormones function in our bodies? What are hormones? Do you know anything about genetics? These questions and more will be discussed in detail in the following essay. Hormones and heredity are two very different things; the only thing they have in common is that they both start with the letter “H”. Let’s break them down individually for a better understanding of what they are and how they are related to our bodies. The endocrine system plays a key role in helping to coordinate and integrate complex psychological reactions. The endocrine glands release chemical substances called hormones that are carried throughout the body by the bloodstream to help regulate bodily activities. Hormones organize the nervous system and body tissues; for example, during puberty hormones trigger the development of secondary sex characteristics like breasts in females or a deeper voice in males. Hormones activate behaviors; they affect such things as alertness or sleepiness, excitability, sexual behavior, ability to concentrate, aggressiveness, reactions to stress, and even desire for companionship. They can also have a dramatic effect on mood, emotional reactivity, ability to learn, and ability to resist disease. There are various glands located in the body which help secrete hormones into our bodies; pituitary glands are located on the underside of the brain; it produces the largest number of the body’s hormones and has the widest range of effects on the body’s functions. The pineal gland...
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...Seyles’ theory of GAS Background- Seyle observed that all hospital patients shared a common set of symptoms no matter what was actually wrong with them. Seyle experimentally (and unethically) exposed rats to various stressors such as cold, injury, spinal cord severing, excessive exercise or intoxication and again noticed this “generalised response”. No matter what stressor the rats were exposed to, they always produced a similar response. Seyle suggested that there was one internal mechanism in animals for dealing with stress, regardless of the stressor. He termed this internal mechanism the “General Adaption Syndrome” or GAS. Theory- When a stressor appears the body will enter the “alarm stage” where the body detects the stressor (which could be anything like work deadlines, weather, distractions, etc.) through the HPA axis and it prepares the body for fight or flight. This occurs when the hypothalamus has detected the stressor and activates the pituitary gland. This releases a hormone called ACTH which then stimulates the adrenal glands which produce the hormone adrenaline. This then stimulates the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) which stimulates the Sympathetic Nervous System which causes the body to go into “fight or flight”. If the stressor disappears at this point the body will return to normal but if the stressor doesn’t disappear the body goes into the “resistance stage” where the body tries to adapt to the stressor and help the body function as normal. At this point...
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...Acromegaly Causes. Demographic. Treatments. Research. Acromegaly is rare disorder of the endocrine system. It develops in the pituitary gland when too much of the growth hormone is produced. The pituitary glad is located in the bran and is the source of several hormones. Growth hormone is important in growth and regeneration of bones and other tissues by stimulating the liver to produce the hormone insulin – like growth factor. A tumor in adults is the most common cause of the excess growth hormone. Tumors can either be pituitary tumors or non-pituitary tumors. In most cases of acromegaly a beginning of noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland is the main cause. The tumors can press on near by tissues as they grow and the pressure can cause some acromegaly symptoms such as headaches, impaired vision in addition to producing an excess amount of the growth hormone. In some cases acromegaly is caused by benign of cancerous tumors in other parts of the body, lungs, pancreas or adrenal glands. The tumors may actually secrete growth hormone. In other cases the tumors produce a growth hormone releasing hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to make more growth hormone. Acromegaly is relatively a rare disorder that occurs in about 6 out of every 100,000 people. Gigantism is even more rare and the onset occurs usually at puberty. Acromegaly can be treated with surgery, medications and radiation. The care plan depends on age, size and location of tumor and other medical...
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...Glands * Consists of one or more cells that produce and secrete a product * Most are composed primarily of epithelium * Exocrine glands – secrete their product onto the outer surface or into a cavity (have a duct) * Endocrine glands are ductless and secrete their product internally to be transported by the bloodstream * The pancreas has both endocrine and exocrine functions Endocrine Glands The endocrine system consists of glands and tissues that secrete hormones. Endocrine Glands: * Are ductless; they secrete their hormones directly into tissue fluid * From there the hormones diffuse into the blood stream for distribution throughout the body Hormones: * Are chemical signals that affect the behavior of other glands or tissues. * Hormones influence the metabolism of cells, the growth and development of body parts, and homeostasis. Hormones can be categorized into peptide hormones and steroid hormones: * Peptide hormones: (non-lipid soluble) * Include proteins, glycoproteins, and modified amino acids. (non-lipid soluble) * The peptide hormones can not enter the cell * Peptide hormones bind to a receptor protein in the plasma membrane and activate a "second messenger" system. * Second messenger sets in motion an enzyme cascade that leads to a cellular response * The second messenger causes the cellular changes for which the hormone is credited. (the peptide...
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...Foundations of Psychology Paper Geni Mayes PSY300 10/11/2013 Ashley Dolecki Foundations of Psychology Paper The five major schools of thought in psychology are psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanistic psychology, Gestalt psychology, and cognitive psychology. However, there are many sub-categories to each of these basic schools each of them deals with all aspects from biological to environmental. The main different schools of psychology that vary both in attitude and in methods of working are these that consist of the Freudian, Jungian and Adlerian schools as well as Gestalts, behaviorist, and cognitive schools. Behaviorism is the term and school of thought from B. F. Skinner, who mainly focused on observable behavior. . His goal was of relating behavior to experimental conditions. Skinner had several theories in regard to operant conditioning. Skinner believed that learning is a function of overt behavior and changes in an individual’s behavior is a result of events that occur in the individual’s environment (Morris & Maisto, 2010). Psychoanalysis was invented by Sigmund Freud, who believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, the ego, and the superego. This school of thought emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Psychoanalysis delves into the innermost parts of the mind and reveals the causes of individual thoughts and behaviors. Freud researched repression, immorality of the subconscious, memory, par amnesia...
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...lives we can produce a powerful love hormone in our body. Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter hormone released by the posterior pituitary gland. With only five percent of mammalian species having long lasting relationships and raising their young, I’d say this chemical is desperately needed. Many behaviors such as parental behaviors are associated with three peptides such as, oxytocin, vasopressin, and prolactin. The oxytocin is created by the hypothalamus that is located below the thalamus. The pituitary gland releases it into the circulatory system. The pituitary gland can do so because it can produce many different hormones that can control functions of other glands in the body. It is located just below the hypothalamus and is a part of the endocrine system. The circulatory system is responsible for moving water, oxygen, and many other items through the enter body. The circulatory system involves the heart, blood, and blood vessels to do so. A simple purpose that oxytocin helps with is breast feeding. Nursing creates spinal nerve stimulation that causes the hypothalamus to make oxytocin. The pituitary glands then secrete the oxytocin as well...
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