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Endocrine System Control Networks

Meaning

The highly integrated, hierarchical system of feedback loops and signaling pathways involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and peripheral endocrine organs that collectively govern the synthesis, secretion, and action of hormones throughout the body. These control networks maintain metabolic, reproductive, and stress homeostasis through precise communication and regulatory mechanisms. Dysfunction within any node of these networks, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, can lead to systemic hormonal imbalance and clinical pathology.