Endocrine Physiology

Abstract: Contributors 1. Organization of the Endocrine System 2. Genes and Hormones 3. Mechanisms of Hormone Action 4. Assessment of Endocrine Function 5. The Anterior Pituitary and Hypothalamus 6. The Posterior Pituitary and Water Metabolism 7. Sexual Differentiation 8. Female Reproductive Function 9. Male Reproductive Function 10. Fertilization, Implantation, and Endocrinology of Pregnancy 11. Growth Regulation 12. The Thyroid 13. The Adrenal Glands 14. Calcium Homeostasis 15. Glucose, Lipid, and Protein Metabolism Index

Abstract: Steroid molecules are present in all invertebrates, and some of them have established hormonal roles: this is the case for ecdysteroids in arthropods and, to a lesser extent, for vertebrate-type steroids in molluscs. Steroids are not only hormones, they may also fulfill many other functions in chemical communication, chemical defense or even digestive physiology. The increasing occurrence of endocrine disruption problems caused by environmental pollutants, which interfere in particular with reproductive physiology of vertebrates but also of invertebrates has made necessary to better understand the endocrine physiology of the latter and the role of steroids in these processes. So many attempts are being made to better understand the endocrine roles of steroids in arthropods and molluscs, and to establish whether they also fulfill similar functions in other invertebrate phyla. At the moment, both the precise identification of these steroids, the determination of their origin (endogenous versus exogenous) and of their mechanism of action are under active investigation. This research takes profit of the development of genome sequencing programs on many invertebrate species, which allow the identification of receptors and/or biosynthetic enzymes, when related to their vertebrate counterparts, but the story is not so simple, as will be exemplified by estrogen receptors of molluscs.

Abstract: CONTENTS: Part I. Cell Physiology. Cellular Membranes and Transmembrane Transport of Solutes and Water. Ionic Equilibria and Resting Membrane Potentials. Generation and Conduction of Action Potentials. Synaptic Transmission. Membrane Receptors. Part II. Nervous System. Cellular Organization of the Nervous System. The General Sensory System. Special Senses. The Motor System. The Automatic Nervous System and its Control. Higher Functions of the Nervous System.Part III. Muscle. The Molecular Basis of Contraction. Muscles Acting on Skeleton Muscle in the Walls of Hollow Organs. Part IV. Cardiovascular System. Blood and Hemostasis. Overview of the Circulation. Electrical Activity of the Heart. The Cardiac Pump. Regulation of the Heartbeat. Hemodynamics. The Arterial System. The Microcirculation and Lymphatics. The Peripheral Circulation and Its Control. Control of Cardiac Output: Coupling of the Heart and Blood Vessels. Special Circulations. Interplay of Central and Peripheral Factors in the Control of the Circulation. Part V. Respiratory System. An Overview of the Respiratory System. Mechanical Aspects of Breathing. Pulmonary and Bronchial Circulations and the Distribution of Ventilation and Perfusion. Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Between Lungs and Cells of the Body. Control of Breathing. Part VI. Gastrointestinal System. Motility of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Gastrointestinal Secretions. Digestion and Absorption. Part VII. Renal System. Elements of Renal Function. Solute and Water Transport Along the Nephron: Tubular Function. Control of Body Fluid Volume and Osmolality. Renal Regulation of Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Phosphate Balance. Role of the Kidney in Acid-Base Balance. Part VIII. Endocrine System. General Principles of Endocrine Physiology. Whole Body Metabolism. Hormones of the Pancreatic Islets. Endocrine Regulation of the Metabolism of Calcium and Related Minerals. The Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland. The Thyroid Gland. The Adrenal Cortex. The Adrenal Medulla. Overview of Reproductive Function. Male Reproduction. Female Reproduction.