TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Introduction to Endocrinology: The Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis A1 - Hilal-Dandan, Randa A1 - Brunton, Laurence L. PY - 2016 T2 - Goodman and Gilman's Manual of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2e AB - Endocrinology analyzes the biosynthesis of hormones, their sites of production, and the sites and mechanisms of their action and interaction. The major functions of hormones include the regulation of energy storage, production, and utilization; the adaptation to new environments or conditions of stress; the facilitation of growth and development; and the maturation and function of the reproductive system. Although hormones were originally defined as products of ductless glands, we now appreciate that many organs not classically considered as "endocrine" (e.g., the heart, kidneys, GI tract, adipocytes, and brain) synthesize and secrete hormones that play key physiological roles. In addition, the field of endocrinology has expanded to include the actions of growth factors acting by means of autocrine and paracrine mechanisms, the influence of neurons—particularly those in the hypothalamus—that regulate endocrine function, and the reciprocal interactions of cytokines and other components of the immune system with the endocrine system. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1127551899 ER -