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Neuroendocrine
 
 
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Neuroendocrine [IPA n??ro?'?nd?kr?n] cells are cells that release a hormone into the circulating blood in response to a neural stimulus. These hormones may be amine
Amine

Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a base nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivative s of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by organic substituents such as alkyl and aryl groups....
s, neuropeptides, or specialized amino acids. They package the hormones in vesicles
Vesicle (biology)

A vesicle is a small bubble of liquid within a cell. More technically, a vesicle is a small, intracellular, membrane-enclosed sac that stores or transports substances within a cell....
 and send these packages via long processes (axon
Axon

An axon or nerve fiber is a long, slender projectionof a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts action potentialaway from the neuron's cell body or soma....
s) to blood vessels. When stimulated (by hormones from the blood stream or neurons) the neuroendocrine cells secrete the hormones into the blood stream.






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Neuroendocrine [IPA n??ro?'?nd?kr?n] cells are cells that release a hormone into the circulating blood in response to a neural stimulus. These hormones may be amine
Amine

Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a base nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivative s of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by organic substituents such as alkyl and aryl groups....
s, neuropeptides, or specialized amino acids. They package the hormones in vesicles
Vesicle (biology)

A vesicle is a small bubble of liquid within a cell. More technically, a vesicle is a small, intracellular, membrane-enclosed sac that stores or transports substances within a cell....
 and send these packages via long processes (axon
Axon

An axon or nerve fiber is a long, slender projectionof a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts action potentialaway from the neuron's cell body or soma....
s) to blood vessels. When stimulated (by hormones from the blood stream or neurons) the neuroendocrine cells secrete the hormones into the blood stream. The hormones then travel to their target cells and may stimulate, inhibit or maintain function of these cells. The target cells may feed back information to these neurons that regulates further secretion.

Example

Specialized groups of neuroendocrine cells can be found at the base of the third ventricle
Third ventricle

The third ventricle is one of four connected fluid-filled cavities comprising the ventricular system within the human brain. It is a median cleft between the two Thalamus, and is filled with cerebrospinal fluid ....
 in the brain (in a region called the hypothalamus
Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland ....
). This area controls most anterior pituitary
Anterior pituitary

The anterior pituitary comprises the Anterior#Usage in human anatomy lobe of the pituitary gland and is part of the endocrine system. Unlike the posterior pituitary, the anterior lobe is genuinely glandular, hence the root adeno in its name....
 cells and thereby regulates functions in the entire body, like responses to stress, cold, sleep, and the reproductive system. The neurons send processes to a region connecting to the pituitary stalk and the hormones (called releasing or inhibiting hormones) are released into the blood stream. They are carried by portal vessels to the pituitary cells where they may stimulate, inhibit, or maintain the function of a particular cell type. Many of the projects in the neuroendocrine group focus on the regulatory circuitry in this pathway.

See also

  • Neuroendocrinology
    Neuroendocrinology

    Neuroendocrinology is the study of the interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system. The concept arose from the recognition that the secretion of hormones from the pituitary gland is closely controlled by the brain, especially by the hypothalamus....
  • Neuroendocrine tumors
    Neuroendocrine tumors

    Neuroendocrine tumors, or more properly gastro-entero-pancreatic or gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors , are cancers of the interface between the endocrine system and the nervous system....


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