ENDOCRINOLOGY

Endocrinology is concerned with the study of the biosynthesis, storage, chemistry, and physiological function of hormones and with the cells of the endocrine glands and tissues that secrete them.

The endocrine system consists of several glands, in different parts of the body, that secrete hormones directly into the blood rather than into a duct system. Hormones have many different functions and modes of action; one hormone may have several effects on different target organs, and, conversely, one target organ may be affected by more than one hormone.

Among the hundreds of endocrine diseases (or endocrinological diseases) are:

Adrenal disorders Adrenogenital syndrome Glucose homeostasis disorders Diabetes mellitus Hypoglycemia Idiopathic hypoglycemia Insulinoma Metabolic bone disease Osteoporosis Osteitis deformans (Paget's disease of bone) Rickets and osteomalacia Pituitary gland disorders Diabetes insipidus Hypopituitarism (or Panhypopituitarism) Pituitary tumors Parathyroid gland disorders Sex hormone disorders Thyroid disorders Goiter Hyperthyroidism and Graves-Basedow disease Hypothyroidism Thyroiditis Thyroid cancer Diabetes insipidus Tumors of the endocrine glands Multiple endocrine neoplasia MEN type 1 MEN type 2a MEN type 2b See also separate organs Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes