Book

The origin of science traces to early history, when spectacular displays in nature first captured the attention of humans. The powerful waves, tides and storms in the seas and oceans; the flow of streams from the mountains to the mighty rivers winding over the continents; the eruptions of volcanos at the earth’s surface, the flight of shooting stars in the darkness of night – all commonly observed today as well – left their viewers awestruck and captured their imagination. Those great wonders feature a central theme—motion with the movement of objects of various sizes ranging from atoms and molecules to celestial bodies in their usual domains.

Science may be described as a voyage of discovery in uncharted waters whose guiding lights are observation, hypothesis, theory and proof. The discipline utilizes a general systematic approach, and although thematic focus generally differs, all fields in science are governed by the same laws making them interdependent; hence, when a new discovery is made in one field, others have to examine its implications and adjust their principles.

Human biology is built upon a foundation of the physical sciences. Thyroid hormones, the principal subject in this book, are essential to humans for physical and mental well-being, producing effects in multiple body systems. As molecular messengers, they begin their journey after their synthesis in the thyroid gland, moving distant organs and tissues to initiate a cascade of molecular amplification effects important in their biological mission. How thyroid hormones accomplish their molecular journey in humans is described with presentation of new theory, demonstration, and proof. The book examines new and far-reaching insights in the basic physical science chemistry to create a window of understanding to physiological processes that regulate thyroid hormones and influence thyroid function. The principles of molecular movement presented in the thyroid field of endocrinology have wide applicability in other biomedical sciences, including biochemistry, pharmacology and physiology.