I hope you had a great day, that you were able to enjoy the final of the World Cup and that somehow you are satisfied with the results. Yes, not everything is medicine or science, part of health is also to distract the mind, to give it the opportunity to get out of the routine, so that our body feels better.
In our body there is a constant secretion of chemicals called hormones, these are produced constantly but not in the same amount, as it could occur, if so, a great lack of control in our body, so in natural and normal conditions this is under strict control through complex and sensitive systems that the body has to avoid entering into imbalance and diseases are expressed.
In this publication I want to talk about what is positive feedback and negative feedback, self-regulation mechanisms that are important, I could say vital in terms of organic functioning. If you want to know what it is or what our body does to maintain the balance (homeostasis), I invite you to keep reading, what I am going to tell you will surely interest you.
It is necessary to understand what the mechanism I am referring to consists of in order to know what its importance is, let's start by defining it. Later I will share an example to make it much easier to understand:
Positive feedback in the endocrine system refers to the mechanism by which hormone levels in the body influence the production of more hormones. When the levels of a hormone in the body are adequate, that can stimulate the gland that produces that hormone to reduce its production.
On the other hand, when the levels of a hormone are too low, it can stimulate the gland that produces that hormone to increase its production. This is known as positive feedback, as the hormone "feeds back" to the producing gland to adjust its production based on the current levels of hormone in the body.
This process occurs constantly in our body to balance the concentration of hormones, molecules that are vital.
Positive feedback from the hypothalamus to the pituitary is a mechanism by which the hypothalamus regulates the production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that controls many of the body's functions, and the pituitary gland is an endocrine gland underneath the brain that produces a number of important hormones.
When thyroid hormone levels in the body are adequate, the hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary to reduce thyroid hormone production. This is known as positive feedback. On the other hand, when thyroid hormone levels are too low, the hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary to increase thyroid hormone production.
Positive feedback from the hypothalamus to the pituitary is important for keeping thyroid hormone levels in the body within a normal range and for regulating the body's metabolic rate. If thyroid hormone levels are too high or too low, health problems, such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, can occur.
In easier words, if the concentration of T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones) drops, the hypothalamus senses this and increases the production of TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) and the release of this to act on the pituitary, and subsequently this will increase the production and release of TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) with the intention that the thyroid will produce more T3 and T4.
In the case of negative feedback the mechanism is similar, but it works in reverse. That is, it acts when there is an increase in T3 and T4 concentration, the Hypothalamus senses this and decreases the production and release of TRH, which in turn will affect the pituitary less, and the pituitary will not release TSH so that it does not stimulate the Thyroid.
I would like to share other examples, at least mention them so that you have a better idea of the importance of these mechanisms for human life in a balanced way.
Positive feedback
Positive feedback from the pancreas on insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
Positive feedback from testosterone on the testicular gland to regulate sperm production.
Negative feedback:
Negative feedback from estrogen on the ovarian gland to regulate the menstrual cycle * Negative feedback from estrogen on the ovarian gland to regulate the menstrual cycle
Negative feedback from antidiuretic hormone on urine production to regulate the body's fluid balance
The negative feedback of growth hormone on the thyroid gland to regulate the body's metabolic rate.
It is important to note that negative feedback is a regulatory mechanism that aims to keep hormone levels within a normal range, while positive feedback is used to adjust hormone levels based on current levels.
But it is not something we can theoretically control at will, unless it is done by pharmacological means. The medical specialist in this particular area is the endocrine physician, and they are the ones in charge of adjusting the various medications that exist, which are essentially hormones.
The hormonal balance by the endocrine system is one of the most important points of metabolism, which together with the nervous system, basically control our reactions, the fact of whether our metabolic rate increases or decreases, among many other things, and this is possible with the use of these processes that are actually very complex molecularly speaking.
The increase or decrease of one or several hormones helps doctors to diagnose endocrine system dysfunctions and to know what needs to be done to help patients.
I know that this may not be a very easy subject to understand, and I hope you understand what I wanted to explain in this publication. If you have any doubt or suggestion, you can leave it in the comments and I will be glad to help you.
