The components and organs of the body must communicate with each other to maintain constant homeostasis. The nerve and endocrine systems work together and complement each other to ensure proper communication and functioning. As the agent of the endocrine system, hormones control the development, growth, and metabolism of the body.
What are Hormones?
Hormones are a class of signalling molecules produced by endocrine glands, including the hypothalamus, adrenal glands, pancreas, pituitary gland, gonads, parathyroid glands, and thyroid gland. Hormones are released into the bloodstream by their respective glands to affect distant target cells. The binding of a hormone to the matching receptor triggers a cascade of biochemical reactions that typically results in a modification of gene transcription. Hormone synthesis and secretion must be closely regulated to keep the body in homeostasis and react to environmental changes.
What are Endocrine Disorders?
Endocrine disorders occur when the body's homeostasis is disturbed due to an imbalance in hormones. This occurs when a gland produces either too little or too much of a specific hormone or when lesions growing within the endocrine system impact hormone levels.
Commonly occurring endocrine disorders are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. While the thyroid of patients with hyperthyroidism becomes overactive and produces too much of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) resulting in increased appetite, sudden weight loss, anxiety, or increased pulse. In hypothyroidism, the level of thyroid-produced hormones is not enough, which leads to a slowed metabolism and can lead to weight gain, constipation, tiredness, and forgetfulness.
A rare endocrine disorder is Addison’s disease. In Addison’s disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, damage to the adrenal glands causes them to produce inadequate levels of the essential hormones cortisol and aldosterone. While early-stage symptoms are mild and could be confused with other health issues, over time more severe symptoms such as fainting, exhaustion, and cramps occur.
Central BioHub offers a wide range of serum and plasma samples collected from patients diagnosed with different types of endocrine disorders like Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism. As the leading online marketplace of human biospecimens, Central BioHub is dedicated to providing high-quality and well-preserved human biospecimens from all over the world for qualitative research and innovative medical discoveries. Browse our extensive endocrine disorder inventory now and use our filters to find the most suitable samples quickly and easily: https://centralbiohub.de/blogs/explore-endocrine-disorder-biospecimens
