%0 Journal Article
%T On a general theoretical foundation for endocrinology
%A Hugo A van den Berg
%J Science Progress
%@ 2047-7163
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0036850419825926
%X Hormones are messenger molecules that distribute across all tissues and thus operate on the whole-organism level. Moreover, a given hormone typically affects a number of different biological processes. As such, hormones coordinate concerted cooperation between the cells and tissues of an organism, a phenomenon that has been termed ¡®organismal harmony¡¯. Furthermore, a concept that has recently been gaining traction is that hormones mediate or represent life history trade-offs, which are ultimately moulded by evolutionary pressures. Here, this concept is extended to include all ¡®decisions¡¯ or ¡®choices¡¯ that are made at the organismal level. A formal framework is sketched to explore the proposition that organismal biology, together with the ¡®fitness landscape¡¯, suffices in principle to determine minimalistic dynamics of the endocrine system
%K Endocrinology
%K fitness
%K mathematical biology
%K evolution of the endocrine system
%K philosophy of biology
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0036850419825926