Monday, May 17, 2010

Endocrinology, Toxicology and Drug Testing

ENDOCRINOLOGY

 

Endocrinology is the study of the endocrine glands and their secretions. It deals with disorders of the endocrine glands as well as the role of the hormones and the treatment to the imbalance of the hormones. It also deals with the hormones’ receptors, the intracellular signaling pathways they appeal to, and the diseases associated with them. The hormones are secreted directly into the blood to be brought to its target tissue or organ. The hormones are highly precise and their action may be discerning or simplified.

Endocrinology focuses mainly on endocrine glands, even though some organs of the body secretes and counteract hormones including the brain, kidney, lung, heart, intestines. The organs which have the primary function is to secrete hormones are the thyroid gland, hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands, pancreas, and the reproductive glands. Endocrine organs’ job is to regulate the body's growth and development, controlling the function of various tissues, supporting pregnancy and other reproductive functions, and regulating metabolism.

Endocrine system is a Group or networks of ductless glands. They are called ductless glands because they have no ducts connecting them to specific body parts. Endocrine system is a system of chemical communication among cells. The products of the endocrine cells are the hormones. Endocrine glands differ from exocrine glands, in that they lack ducts and deliver their secretions in the bloodstream. Physiological responses occur once hormones are bound with their receptors and have stimulated their target cells.

REFERENCES:
http://www.answers.com/topic/endocrine-system
http://www.diabeticsupplies.md/endocrinology-diabetic-supplies.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/endocrinology
Clinical Endocrinology by Ashley Grossman

TOXICOLOGY

 

Toxicology is known as the science of poisons. It embraces the effects of the poison to the living organisms, its nature, the physical and chemical substance of the poison, and detection of poisons, the methods use in testing them and the treatment of poisoning. It has something to do with the testing and detection of the fast-growing quantity of new potentially toxic substances used in workplaces, in agriculture, in cosmetics, as food additives, and as drugs. The most important factor that influences the toxic effect of a specific chemical is the dose.

The dose of the poisonous substance is the most important factor that influences toxicity. The route of exposure is another significant factor. Living organisms may be exposed to a toxic substance by inhalation, ingestion, penetration through the skin, or injection into the body. Introduction of poisonous substance through Inhalation is the most serious route of exposure because substances are absorbed directly into the lungs, causing the potential substance to travel throughout the other parts of the body.

2 broad classes of toxicity:
• Acute toxicity - effects that occur soon after a single exposure or small number of closely spaced contacts. The effect of most acute toxicants (such as cyanide) is death.

• Chronic toxicity - refers to deferred effects that occur after long-term repeated exposures. Cancer and reproductive effects are the greatest effect of the chronic hazards.

REFERENCES:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-toxicology.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/toxicology
The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the Chemicals That Are Destroying Your Health by Randall Fitzgerald
Drug Information Handbook by Charles F. Lacy

DRUG TESTING

 

A drug test is the analysis of the biological specimen of a person like urine, blood, hair, saliva and sweat to check for the presence or absence of specific drugs or their metabolites. Metabolites are formed as part of what you take in inside the body. Most toxic screenings search the urine for 5 abused drugs. These 5 substances include opiates, PCP, cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines.

It is recommended that any and all positive screenings be followed up by a second, more selective test to confirm the result and rule out any false positives. There are some over the counter drugs that may lead to false positive result of the test. These are Dextromethorphan, Naproxen, Pseudoephedrine, Vicks inhaler, Weight loss supplements and some of the medicines used in the hospital for surgical patients can also cause false positives on urine drug screens for amphetamines.

Urinalysis is the most frequently used type of drug testing, the examination of urine. For more exact result of the drug testing, the specimen is send to the lab to undergo such procedures as EMIT (enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique) GC/MS (gas chromatography & mass spectrometry), and liquid chromatography. EMIT is often questioned for its accuracy as about one fourth of its results can come out incorrect

REFERENCES:
http://www.nafdacnigeria.org/drug-testing.html
http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugsafety/thelaw/howdrugtestswork
Prevalence of Drug Testing in the Workplace, in Monthly Labor Review by Tyler D. Hartwell, Paul D. Steele, Nathaniel F. Rodman 

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