Hormones, Nervous System Functions, and Endocrine Disorders
Hormones and Glandular Functions
Main Glands and Hormones:
- Hypothalamus: Releasing factors and inhibitors act on the pituitary, enabling hormone production.
- Pituitary:
- Oxytocin: Stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth and milk production in the breast.
- Growth Hormone: Stimulates bone growth.
- Thyroid:
- Thyroid Hormone: Regulates metabolism.
- Calcitonin: Decreases blood calcium levels by promoting bone deposition.
- Adrenal Glands/Pancreas:
- Adrenaline: Prepares the body for intense muscle activity and
Understanding Cancer and Evolution: Key Concepts
Homologous and Analogous Traits
Homologous traits are traits shared by two or more different species that share a common ancestor.
Analogous traits do not share a common origin but have a similar function.
Phylogenetic Tree
A phylogenetic tree is a reconstruction of hypothesized evolutionary relationships among organisms based on genetics, physical characteristics, and behavior.
Transitional Forms
Transitional forms record both the gain and loss of prominent characteristics over time.
Anthropocene
Anthropocene
Read MoreCell Structure and Function: A Comprehensive Look
The Cell: Vital Unit of All Life
The cell is the vital unit, anatomical, functional, and breeding unit of all life.
Basic Components
- Atom: Small particle made up of electrons.
- Molecule: Formed by the interaction of several atoms.
Bioelements
Elements found in living beings:
- Main: Present in greater proportion in the cell.
- Secondary: Present in smaller proportion in the cell.
- Trace elements: Present in very small proportion in the cell.
Biomolecules
Molecules formed in living beings:
- Carbohydrates: Molecules
Understanding the Causes of Congenital Malformations
Etiology of Malformations
Etiologic factors responsible for malformations differ according to whether they intervene before, during, or after fertilization. Before fertilization, these are genetic abnormalities, which are transmitted by the laws of inheritance.
Hereditary Factors
Simple Transmission of Inherited Malformations
A single gene is abnormal. The modes of transmission are differentiated by character: dominant, recessive, or sex-linked.
- Autosomal Dominant (e.g., achondroplastic dwarfism). If
Lymphatic System: Parts, Function, and Immunity
What is the Lymphatic System?
Your lymphatic (lim-FA-tik) system not only helps the body defend itself against disease but also maintains homeostasis by keeping body fluids at a constant level. Body cells are constantly bathed in fluid. This tissue fluid is composed of water and dissolved substances that diffuse from the blood into the spaces between the cells that make up the surrounding tissues. This tissue fluid collects in open-ended lymph capillaries. Once the tissue fluid enters the lymph vessels,
DNA and Genetics: Understanding Heredity and Molecular Biology
The Genetic Revolution
The discovery of DNA’s molecular structure marked the beginning of a revolution in the field of genetics and reproduction.
Genetics: Understanding Biological Inheritance
Genetics is the study of everything related to biological inheritance, genes, and their expression in organisms. Born at the beginning of the 20th century with Mendel’s experiments in plant hybridization, it investigates how hereditary characteristics are transmitted across generations. Mendel established a pattern
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