Читать книгу Essential Endocrinology and Diabetes - Richard I. G. Holt - Страница 24

The synthesis, release and circulating level of hormones are regulated by control systems, similar to those used in engineering. These mechanisms ensure that hormone signals can be limited in amplitude and duration. Central to the regulation of many different endocrine organs is the anterior pituitary gland, which, in turn, is controlled by several hormones and factors released from specialized hypothalamic neurones (Chapter 5). Thus, the body’s major endocrine axes comprise the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary and an end organ, the adrenal cortex, thyroid, testis or ovary. An understanding of these control mechanisms is crucial for appreciating endocrine physiology and its clinical investigation.