Melanocyte-stimulating hormone

Reflections 1. Hormones and the brain are powerful influences on human sexual functioning. Perhaps two of the most important portions of the brain in terms of sexual functioning are the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, which make up the HPG axis. The HPG axis consists of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the gonads – gonads being the testes in males and the ovaries in females. Together, the HPG axis regulates sex hormone production in a negative feedback loop. Three important hormones…

Why performance enhancing drugs should not be banned in sports. Performance enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids, blood doping and hGH(human Growth Hormone) have been found to be used in sports since as early as 776BCLee, (Yu-Hsuan, 2006), where the Ancient Greeks used opium juice in the early Olympics for an advantage in their sport (Sportsanddrugs.procon.org, 2016). PED’s have the potential to drastically alter the state of the human body(Health.nsw.gov.au, 2016). Athletes in today’s…

Background Turner’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs in 1 in every 2,500 female births. Though it occurs in about 3% of fetuses, 99% of these fetuses are spontaneously aborted[1]. Turner’s syndrome can be defined as a combination of phenotypes with varying expressivity along with the complete or partial loss of an X sex chromosome[2]. Symptoms of Turner’s syndrome include, but aren’t limited to short stature, glucose intolerance, broad chest and widely spread nipples, amenorrhea,…

Thyroid Storm The hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland all work together to regulate the thyroid hormones which in turn have a significant role in the regulation of the body’s metabolism and calcium balance (Pullen & Embrey, 2013, p. 14). When these components fail to maintain the appropriate balance of the thyroid hormones, the result can be either a hyperactive thyroid or a hypoactive thyroid. As a nurse, it is important to be able to identify patients who may be…

hyperthyroidism? Hyperthyroidism is a condition when the thyroid gland is overactive and indicates an increased metabolic rate (Blesi, Kelley-Arney, & Wise, 2012). Thyroid gland is an organ that is positioned in the front of your neck and releases hormones that control our metabolism (energy), breathing, heart rate, nervous system, weight, body temperature, and many other functions in the body and is part of the body’s endocrine system. When the thyroid gland is overactive, the body’s processes…

overproduction of thyroid hormones. This overproduction is known as hyperthyroidism and there are a number of disorders and diseases that may result in hyperthyroidism, with Grave’s disease being the most common cause. According to Grazia Aleppo MD, FACE, FACP, who is an associate professor of Medicine at the Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, hyperthyroidism can be defined as a condition in which the thyroid gland is overactive and makes excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. The thyroid…

Thyroid hormone is an important hormone needed for brain maturation as it helps in the functioning of the brain throughout the life. Thyroid diseases have various clinical manifestations in adults like hypothyroidism causing lethargy, hyporeflexia and deprived motor coordination. Thyroid hormone deficiency can lead to irreversible brain damage depending on onset and duration time period. Subclinical hypothyroidism is usually related to memory damage, bipolar affective disorders, depression or…

Hashimoto’s disease? Hashimoto’s disease is a disease of the thyroid gland; a part of the endocrine system. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck. The endocrine system is responsible for all the chemical interactions in our body e.g. hormones. This is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the cells of the thyroid gland. It results in the inflammation and destruction of the gland, resulting in hypothyroidism. [3] Normal functioning of the thyroid gland: A…

Performance enhancing drugs are substances that improve an athlete’s performance. Performance enhancing drugs enlarge muscle size and increase the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity. Although the drug makes a substantial difference in athletic performance, the use of the drug can be medically dangerous. Steroids are outlawed by organizations that govern professional sports. The different substances of PED’s are stimulants, anabolic steroids and erythropoietin. Athletes take these drugs to make…

Triiodothyronine, with a chemical name of 3,3',5-Triiodothyronine (T3), is one of four thyroid hormones that exhibit biological activity, and contains 3 iodines and 2 tyrosine’s, as seen in Fig. 1. 20 % of T3 is formed from the amino acid tyrosine within specific follicle cells of the thyroid gland by the oxidative condensation of its biological precursors, monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine, and is then subsequently secreted into the bloodstream. The remaining 80% is produced from the…