e.hormone | hormones and the environment

	Featured Research Briefs

	March 2008 Offspring of Women Exposed In Utero to Diethylstilbestrol (DES): A Preliminary Report of Benign and Malignant Pathology in the Third Generation Background: Animal studies suggest that prenatal exposure to the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) causes epigenetic changes that may be transmitted to the next generation. Specifically, these studies show an elevated incidence of reproductive tumors in the female offspring of prenatally-exposed mice... web link...

	March 2008 Defining biological communication This article reviews conflicting definitions of biological communication, splitting them into two groups--adaptationist and information transfer. It holds the adaptationist definition to be superior, arguing that the information transfer definition loses much power by ignoring the dynamic evolutionary context of biology. It suggests as well that the adaptationist definition must consider the adaptation of both the sender and the receiver in order to be effective... web link...

	January 2008 Phytoestrogens and Breast Cancer Prevention: Possible Mechanisms of Action Phytoestrogens display an array of pharmacological properties, and in recent years investigation of their potential as anti-cancer agents has increased dramatically. This article will review the published literature related to phytoestrogens and breast cancer as well as suggest the possible mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between phytoestrogens and breast cancer... web link...

	January 2008 Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Estrogen, Androgen, and Progesterone Nuclear Receptors from a Freshwater Turtle Steroid hormones are essential for the normal function of many organ systems in vertebrates. Reproductive activity in females and males, such as the differentiation, growth, and maintenance of the reproductive system, requires signaling by the sex steroids. Although extensively studied in mammals and a few fish, amphibians, and bird species, the molecular mechanisms of sex steroid hormone (estrogens, androgens, and progestins) action are poorly understood in reptiles... web link...