Development, Maturation, and Senescence of Neuroendocrine Systems: A Comparative Approach discusses the various phases of the aging continuum of neuroendocrine systems. This book explores the fundamental and physiological component of animals, which is an essential contributor to senescence. Organized into three parts encompassing 21 chapters, this volume starts with a discussion of the concept of neurosecretory neuron that was introduced by Ernst Scharrer in 1928. This book discusses the challenges in the study of the development of the neuroendocrine system in insects, with a focus on Lepidoptera. Other chapters consider the neuroendocrine mechanisms that control the physiological processes in crustaceans. The reader is then introduced to the major neurohemal structures in crustaceans, including the sinus gland, the pericardial organs, and the post-commissural organs. The final chapter discusses the two brain systems that show impact of endogenous steroids that account for subsets of senescent changes. This book is a valuable resource for neurobiologists, molecular biologists, and immunologists.

ContributorsPrefacePart I Comparison of Neuroendocrine Systems 1. An Introduction to the Neuroendocrine System 2. Development of the Insect Neuroendocrine System 3. Development, Maturation, and Aging in the Crustacean Neuroendocrine System 4. Aging in Molluscan Nervous and Neuroendocrine Systems 5. Neuroendocrine Aspects of Amphibian MetamorphosisPart II Development and Aging of Reproductive Systems and Functions 6. An Introduction to Development and Aging of Reproductive Systems and Functions 7. The Brain-Pituitary-Gonad Axis in Poikilotherms 8. The Brain-Pituitary-Gonad Axis in Homeotherms 9. Neuroendocrine Regulation of the Mammalian Fetus 10. Prenatal and Postnatal Functions of the Biological Clock in Reproductive Development 11. Comparative Aspects of Female Puberty 12. Neurohumoral Hysteresis as a Mechanism for Aging in Humans and Other Species: Comparative Aspects 13. Salmonids and Annual Fishes: Death after SexPart III Neuroendocrinology and the Environment 14. Development and Senescence of the Neuroendocrine Systems Controlling Growth and Responses to the Environment: An Introduction 15. Neuroendocrine Models Regulating Lifespan 16. Thyroid Hormones in Early Development, with Special Reference to Teleost Fishes 17. The Hypothalamo-Pituitary (Growth Hormone)-Somatomedin Axis 18. Development and Aging of the Thyroid in Homeotherms 19. The Adrenals 20. Development, Maturation, and Senescence of Sympathetic Innervation of Secondary Immune Organs 21 Is Senescence Obligatory in Eukaryotic Cells?Index