Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Spring 2024

The purpose of this presentation is to serve as an introductory course on endocrine disrupting chemicals for ENVR 240 at UNC Chapel Hill. The lecture covers basic information about the organs, tissues, and hormones of the endocrine system, the various endocrine signaling pathways in the body (e.g., HPA axis), and examples of biological processes under the control of the endocrine system. The lecture also introduces the concept of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and provides a handful of examples to demonstrate how EDCs perturb the normal function of the endocrine system. Lastly, the lecture ends by discussing the role of environmental justice in EDC research and how EDCs are assessed/regulated. 

Impact/Purpose

This presentation is a lecture designed for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in ENVR 240 at UNC Chapel Hill. The course is meant to provide an introduction to the endocrine system and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The learning objectives of this lecture are to provide a general overview of the endocrine system and its function as well as how endocrine disrupting chemicals interference with its normal biological functions.

Citation

Blake, B. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Spring 2024. Guest lecture at UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, April 02, 2024.