Endocrine networks

The functioning of the endocrine system must be mainly described in terms of networks. Interactions exist between immune cells producing antibodies and endocrine cells which make it possible to consider a unified immune-endocrine network. Like neural and any other network, an endocrine network contains nodes and links. Different types of hormone-producing cells or, equivalently, different hormones are considered as nodes; thus the number of nodes in the endocrine network is equal to the number of different hormones considered. Links between the nodes are realized by humor transportation of hormone molecules. A large number of sources have been reviewed to collect data about mutual interactions between hormones in a human or in other mammals. A graph of links for a model of the endocrine network is given, and simulation results are presented