BIOCHEMISTRY - Key Regulators and Biological Fluids of the Human Body - 2016

2. HORMONES

2.2. The Role of Hormonal Regulation in Metabolism

Metabolic Regulation is a vital mechanism that enables the body to adapt to its surrounding environment. In addition to the cellular regulatory mechanisms found in Protozoa, higher animals have phylogenetically younger and more complex central control mechanisms (such as The Nervous system and Hormones) that integrate the METABOLISM of individual Cells for the benefit of the Organism as a whole.

In pathological conditions caused by diseases (hypo- or hyperfunction) of the Endocrine glands, Neurohumoral regulation of biochemical processes becomes impaired, leading to a drastic decrease in the body's ability to withstand various external and internal stressors. Furthermore, through their secretions, individual endocrine glands exert a powerful influence not only on various Organs and Tissues, but also on the function of other endocrine glands and the nervous system.

It must be emphasized that The activity of the endocrine glands is not autonomous, but rather controlled by the Central Nervous System (CNS). The function of the endocrine glands (both under normal and pathological conditions) is stimulated or inhibited by impulses originating in the CNS and traveling to nerve endings located within the glands. This explains why dysfunctions of the central nervous system lead to Disorders of the endocrine glands.

Hormonal regulation is achieved through:

1) the activation or inhibition of Enzymes, which in turn affects metabolic pathways (an immediate or "acute" form of regulation that takes effect almost instantly);

2) the enhancement (induction) or suppression (repression) of enzyme synthesis (a prolonged or "chronic" form of regulation);

3) alterations in the permeability of Introduction/36.html">Biological Membranes;

4) Changes in the Transport of substances across biological membranes.

During athletic exercise, the functional state of the endocrine glands changes, leading to increased hormone secretion into the bloodstream. By influencing metabolism, these hormones ensure the body's adaptation to physical exertion and maintain high performance. Through regular training, the functional capacity of the endocrine glands increases significantly, endocrine REGULATION OF METABOLISM is refined, and the body's resistance to the damaging effects of excessive loads is enhanced.