What Does Endocrinology Mean?
Endocrinology is a medical discipline that focuses on the structure, function and disorders of the endocrine glands. The endocrine glands produce and secrete hormones into the bloodstream and are a part of the larger endocrine system.
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Endocrine Glands
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The endocrine glands include the adrenal, hypothalamus, pancreas, ovaries, parathyroid, pineal, pituitary, testes and thyroid. Conditions like diabetes, goiter and hypoglycemia are examples of conditions that arise from an overactive or underactive endocrine gland.
Endocrine System
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The endocrine system uses hormones as communication messengers to organs throughout the body by way of blood vessels. They regulate bodily functions like metabolism, tissue growth and function, development and mood.
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Relevance
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Endocrinology has made contributions to the medical field in the treatment of diabetes and hyperthyroidism. It is also applied with reproductive medicine and infertility.
Practitioners
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Physicians who specialize in endocrinology are called medical endocrinologists. They typically have background training in fields such as pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, or oncology.
Fun Fact
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In 1913, "Endocrinology" was added to the International Science Vocabulary, or the ISV. The ISV is a collection of terms that are currently in use in two or more languages. Medical terms, including endocrinology, are largely of Greco-Latin origin.
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