Hormonal Control in Mammals

Abstract

The hallmark of vertebrate physiology is the fine control of physiological states by negative feedback systems. For this to be effective, there must be mechanisms to turn off operating processes and to turn on dormant processes. This requires that there be bodywide communication among system components that signals the state of operating processes. The coordinated interaction of the central nervous system and hormones is one of the most important mechanisms by which negative feedback is achieved. Hormones are chemicals that are transported long distances via the blood and that are capable of turning on and off processes occurring at the site of hormone action. This chapter describes a mathematical model of one of these feedback systems that causes the level of glucose in the blood to be regulated within relatively narrow bounds.