Dying Is A Journey

Man saying the word “pion” (pronounced: peony) 

Patient suffering from dysphagia or trouble swallowing

A baby nursing

Dog drinking

Playing the violin

day 1 / 18th of February 2019 / 1856

Thank you so much for 500 followers! When I started this blog I never thought this would be possible and someone would care about it.

Today was the first day of the new semester and I feel miserable. I had the feeling everyone was speaking in a different language (latin) and I couldn’t understand anything.

We started with the topic “Central Nervous System” and of course the brain couldn’t be missing here. I feel as if they dropped a 40 kg vocabulary book on my head because there were so many new terms. My heart and head are still in vacation so I got very demotivated. Maybe I’ll still manage to do something today.

January 26 2019

Anyone have any advice on how to ~network~

I’m having lunch with my research group and they want me to meet an former member who is now in a biotech & cancer drug research company and I’m like /nervous

Hypothalamus

Major homeostasis centre of the brain

Regulates body temperature, appetite, metabolic rate, sleep + many others

Link between brain and endocrine system via the pituitary gland - Hypothalamo-pituitary axis

Pituitary Gland

Major site of trophic hormone secretion – i.e. hormones that stimulate secretion of other hormones

Hormone secretion = controlled by hypothalamic hormones – who are inhibited by the presence of the final hormone in the chain – negative feedback

Divided into anterior and posterior pituitary

Most hormones are secreted by the anterior pituitary

Cells of the Anterior Pituitary

Classified by their specific secretory products:

Somatotrophs - GH secreting cells

Lactotrophs - PL secreting cells (prolactin)

Thyrotrophs  - TSH secreting cells (thyroid stimulating hormone)

Corticotrophs - ACTH secreting cells (adrenocorticotropic hormone)

Gonadotrophs - LH and FSH secreting cells (luteinising and follicle stimulating hormones)

Classification of endocrine disorders

Primary – the target gland itself (e.g. thyroid, adrenal, ovary) is not functioning normally

Secondary – initial disorder is in the pituitary and the problem in the target organ is secondary to the pituitary disorder