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| He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
-ephesians 4:16
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Endocrinology.. hmmm the
first thing that comes in my mind upon hearing that word is about our hormones.
I suddenly remember a friend of mine, who has a problem in her monthly period.
Her period comes only once a year since her menstruation started way back in
our elementary years. After 3 years of having irregular monthly period, she
finally went to a doctor, and they said that she has a hormonal imbalance. Now,
she needs to take pills and medicines every day, so she can menstruate monthly.
On hearing her story, it made me wonder, how much more these hormones can
affect us and our body.
Basically, Endocrinology is
the study of intracellular and extracellular communication by messenger molecules known as hormones1. Hormones are substances which are
secreted by specialized gland or non-glandular tissues of the body, released in
the bloodstream to be transported and carried to the target cell, to elicit a
regulatory response. This response is mediated by a specific receptor that is
specific to a certain hormone. However, hormones can also act on a neighboring
cell through paracrine action, and on the cell in which it was secreted through
the autocrine action2.
When talking about our
body systems, Integumentary, Nervous, and Digestive systems were always thought
first and Endocrine system is always on the last of the line. And yet,
endocrine system influences almost every cells and functions of our body. Metabolism,
sexual and reproductive processes, our body’s growth and development were all
affected and manipulated by the endocrine system. It explains why girls grow
and mature early than boys, due to the early release of a certain hormone,
called androgen3.
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| Image credit ©iStockphoto.com/Joan Vicent Cantó Roig |
Endocrine is also the control room for the
regulation of our mood. A simple rise in stress hormone can lead to the feeling
of anger, even the feeling of being in love is caused by hormonal production
and changes. In addition to that, our sleeping pattern is also affected by a
certain hormone, which is the melatonin; overproduction of this can cause
drowsiness. If you always feel drowsy during classes, you can now reason the
overproduction of melatonin to your teachers, haha..
PS: discovering science is so amazing, it made me praise GOD more.. psalm 139:14 says, "I praise YOU LORD because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; YOUR works are wonderful, I know that full well."
references:
1^ Ronald J. Whitley, Ph.D., et al, Fundamentals of
Clinical Chemistry 4th Ed.
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