Difference between revisions of "Endocrine disrupting compounds"
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Disruption of the endocrine system can occur in various ways. Some chemicals mimic a natural hormone, fooling the body into over-responding to the stimulus, or responding at inappropriate times. Other endocrine disruptors block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors by blocking the receptor site on a cell. Still others directly stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system and cause overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Medical interventions commonly manipulate the endocrine system for the betterment of a patient, and side effects of such therapy can be interpreted as due to endocrine disruption. Substances in question are also known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) or Hormone Disrupting Chemicals (HDCs), and belong to the group of xenobiotics, foreign chemicals that affect a biological system. | Disruption of the endocrine system can occur in various ways. Some chemicals mimic a natural hormone, fooling the body into over-responding to the stimulus, or responding at inappropriate times. Other endocrine disruptors block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors by blocking the receptor site on a cell. Still others directly stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system and cause overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Medical interventions commonly manipulate the endocrine system for the betterment of a patient, and side effects of such therapy can be interpreted as due to endocrine disruption. Substances in question are also known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) or Hormone Disrupting Chemicals (HDCs), and belong to the group of xenobiotics, foreign chemicals that affect a biological system. | ||
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Revision as of 16:55, 20 November 2007
Definition of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs):
Endocrine disruptors are exogenous substances that cause adverse biological effects by interfering with the endocrine system and disrupting the physiologic function of hormones.
This is the common definition for Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs), other definitions can be discussed in the article
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The endocrine system
Endocrine systems are found in most varieties of animal life. The endocrine system is made up of glands, which secrete hormones, and receptor cells which detect and react to the hormones.
Hormones are released by glands and travel throughout the body, acting as chemical messengers. Hormones interface with cells that contain matching receptors in or on their surfaces. The hormone binds with the receptor, much like a key would fit into a lock.
Endocrine disrupting compounds
Disruption of the endocrine system can occur in various ways. Some chemicals mimic a natural hormone, fooling the body into over-responding to the stimulus, or responding at inappropriate times. Other endocrine disruptors block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors by blocking the receptor site on a cell. Still others directly stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system and cause overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Medical interventions commonly manipulate the endocrine system for the betterment of a patient, and side effects of such therapy can be interpreted as due to endocrine disruption. Substances in question are also known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) or Hormone Disrupting Chemicals (HDCs), and belong to the group of xenobiotics, foreign chemicals that affect a biological system.
