the endocrine system
The endocrine system is about hormones, which are chemical substances produced by glands! Various hormones are secreted from glands in order to control metabolic activity, therefore contributing to homeostasis. An example would be how insulin and glucagon is secreted from the pancreas to regulate blood sugar level! Observe the locations of the glands which secrete hormones on the diagram shown on the left! I also added an interactive flash animation from e.hormone.tulane.edu below for those who wish to know more about hormones! Try clicking on the glands~! Enjoy!
HIV effect on the endocrine system According to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, HIV reduces the production of growth hormones. Not only that, HIV has a tendency to neglect them as well! This would cause countless problems, starting from heart problems, tiredness and weariness and weakened muscles! Such problems may not be directly life risky, yet they could be dangerous if not taken care of!
Other than growth hormones, thewellproject.org also says that HIV could disrupt hormone levels, resulting in weight loss, insomnia, depression and many more. This is why endocrine system and homeostasis is important for our bodies, because things can go out of control if hormones were not regulated! |
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Sex hormones
HIV are known to affect the sex hormones of both male and female to a certain extent. For females, sex hormones ovary called progesterone and estrogen are affected by HIV. The regulations caused by HIV on these hormones which function to control pregnancy and menstrual cycles could possibly result in infertility. This symptom is no exception for men, as HIV also affects the male sex hormone, testosterone, which is produced in the testes. As a result, this symptom proves that not only HIV affects the Endocrine system and homeostasis, but it also causes problems for the reproductive system.
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