1. Do you think the water in the Puget Sound and throughout Washington is clean? Safe? Why or why not?
QOD

2. What is the endocrine system?
Endocrine systems, also referred to as hormone systems, are found in all mammals, birds, fish, and many other types of living organisms. They are made up of:
Glands located throughout the body;
Hormones that are made by the glands and released into the bloodstream or the fluid surrounding cells; and
Receptors in various organs and tissues that recognize and respond to the hormones.

3. Products BPA: found in many plastics and canned food
Dioxin: found in pesticides and insecticides, bleached coffee filters and napkins
Atrazine: found in herbicides
Phthalates: found in personal care products (cosmetics, nail polish, shampoo, hairspray), food packaging and plastic wrap
Perchlorate: found in explosives, grenades; military. Has been found in our drinking water
Fire retardants- have been found in breast milk?
Lead: found in old houses (paints, pipes, plumbing), Tacoma
Arsenic: found in certain foods, pesticides, Tacoma
Perflourinated Chemicals: found in non-stick cookware
Organophosphates: used by Nazis in WW2, found in pesticides
Glycol ethers: found in many paints and cleaners

4. What are concerns regarding Endocrine Disruptors?
In the last two decades there has been a growing awareness of the possible adverse effects in humans and wildlife from exposure to chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine system. These effects can include:
developmental malformations,
interference with reproduction,
increased cancer risk; and
disturbances in the immune and nervous system function.
A variety of chemicals have been found to disrupt the endocrine systems of animals in laboratory studies, and there is strong evidence that chemical exposure has been associated with adverse developmental and reproductive effects on fish and wildlife in particular locations
Limited evidence exists for the potential of chemicals to cause these effects in humans at environmental exposure levels. Very few chemicals have been tested for their potential to interfere with the endocrine system. Current standard test methods do not provide adequate data to identify potential endocrine disruptors (EDs) or to assess their risks to humans and wildlife.
The relationship of human diseases of the endocrine system and exposure to environmental contaminants, however, is poorly understood and scientifically controversial (Kavlock et al., 1996, EPA, 1997).

5. How Can Chemicals Disrupt the Endocrine System?
Disruption of the endocrine system can occur in various ways. Some chemicals mimic a natural hormone, fooling the body into over-responding to the stimulus (e.g., a growth hormone that results in increased muscle mass), or responding at inappropriate times (e.g., producing insulin when it is not needed). Other endocrine disruptors block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors (e.g. growth hormones required for normal development). Still others directly stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system and cause overproduction or underproduction of hormones (e.g. an over or underactive thyroid). Certain drugs are used to intentionally cause some of these effects, such as birth control pills. In many situations involving environmental chemicals, however, an endocrine effect is not desirable.

6. Endocrine Disruptors

7. Cellular Membranes and Transport

8. Why do we need cell membranes?
The cell membrane allows materials like glucose, amino acids, and lipids to enter
These nutrients are needed to keep the cell functional
The membrane is a boundary between the cell and its environment.
The membrane controls the entering and exiting of materials to maintain homeostasis.
Every living cell contains a liquid interior and is surrounded by a liquid

9. Two Content Layout with Table
Composed of phospholipids
- a polar head group
(hydrophilic)
- 2 non-polar tails
(hydrophobic)
A bilayer with the polar heads on the outsides and hydrophobic tails inside
The membrane is called the “phospholipid bilayer”.
Semi-permeable

10. What can pass through the membrane?
Water
Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Small uncharged lipid molecules
Pretty much anything that is small and uncharged

11. We call this simple diffusion
These molecules don’t just pass in and out of the cell whenever they please
Diffusion: The movement of any molecule from higher to lower concentration
When molecules can pass through the membrane with the concentration gradient its called SIMPLE DIFFUSION (they don’t need any help)

12. This image is incomplete

13. Proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates are also embedded in the cell membrane

14. Proteins 3 Types of Membrane Proteins… 1. Channels
- Can be opened or closed to keep molecules from moving across the membrane
2. Receptors
- transmit information from the outside to the inside allowing cells to make any changes that are needed
3. Carriers
- Change form to allow specific molecules through the cell membrane

15. Cholesterol Embedded inside the lipid bilayer
helps stabilize the phospholipids by preventing the fatty acid chains from sticking together.

16. Carbohydrates
Membrane proteins and lipids often have sugars attached to their outside edges.
Carbohydrates act as an identifier for the cell
A protein attached to a carb is called a glycoprotein

17. Fluid Mosaic Model The cell membrane is flexible
The molecules in the membrane can move about like ships floating on the sea
Proteins create a “mosaic”, or pattern, on the membrane surface