Hormonal Disruption In Response To various Toxic Environmental Agents

the life of a multicell organism requires coordination between organs and tissues. The endocrine system maintains this coordination by producing hormones in response to physiological and environmental changes.Endocrine disruption or toxicity is the process where adverse effects on the structure and/or function of the endocrine system result from exposure to chemical substances with consequent disruption of the physiological harmony of the hormonal system.An endocrine-disrupting compound can be defined as “an exogenous agent that interferes with synthesis, secretion, transport, metabolism, binding action, or elimination of natural blood-borne hormones that are present in the body and are responsible for homeostasis, reproduction, and developmental process.”Several classification systems were proposed to facilitate studying these chemicals. These classifications are generally based on the available data on EDCs in literature regarding the probable or proved effects on human population, wild life and/or lab animals.The sources of exposure to EDCs are diverse and vary widely around the world. The situation is constantly evolving because some EDCs were banned decades ago and others more recently, with significant differences between countries. In this respect, migrating people provide a model to study cessation and/or onset of exposure depending on contamination of the original and new milieus.