What is Gigantism?

Gigantism refers to a particular growth defect, a condition which is characterized by an abnormal linear growth of the body, significantly above the normal one due to the over production of the growth hormone in the body. It is also known as the Exomphalos Macroglossia gigantism syndrome.

Gigantism Definition
Gigantism refers to an abnormal growth condition which originates during infancy, and shows itself through an abnormal increase in physical size and stature due to the excess of growth hormone.

Pituitary Gigantism
The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain, and it is the root cause behind this disease. A hypothalamic condition, caused due to the excess activity of the pituitary gland overproduces the growth hormone, and this leads to gigantism. An adenoma of pituitary gland also causes this disease Gigantism Hormone Involved The hormone involved in this disease is the growth hormone gigantism. This hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland of the body. It is an essential hormone as it leads to the normal growth of the body. However excess of this hormone is harmful as it leads to gigantism.

Mammary Gigantism
It is not necessary that gigantism may always occur in humans. It may also occur in other animals, i.e. animal gigantism or mammary gigantism is also possible. For example, Island gigantism is a phenomenon in which there is an increase in the size of animals that are isolated in an island, as compared to their other relatives.

Gigantism symptoms
One of the major symptoms that clearly explain that the disease is gigantism is the excessive increase in the height and muscles of the child. The child appears too big for his present age. Some of the other symptoms which clearly denote the occurring of this disease are:

Delay in puberty Excessive growth Peripheral vision Tallness Enlargement of soft body tissues

Hypopituitarism Reduction in the production of hormones by the testes Reduction in the production of hormone by the ovaries Myopathy Increase in perspiration Tall stature Irregularity in menstruation Thickening of facial features Late in closure of epiphyses Double vision

Gigantism Causes
Gigantism is a birth defect, and its most important and nearest cause is the release of growth hormone from the noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland of the body. . Apart from this, there are certain other causes that lead to this disease. The main causes of gigantism includes the following:

Neurofibromatosis Multiple endoctine neoplasia Type 1 (MEN-1) Carney complex McCune Albright Syndrome (MAS) Pituatory Tumor Weaver Syndrome Sclerosteosis Cortcal Hyperostosis Simpson Dysmorphia Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome Acromegaly Cerebral Giagantism in the childhood Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia

Facts About Gigantism

Here is some very interesting and true gigantism information.

Gigantism is a natural condition and it occurs without any prior intimation to anyone. The person concerned nay not be indulged in any activity that results in this disease, yet, he may be a victim of it. The growth is abrupt and extreme. There in continuous increase in the tumor of the pituitary, and this leads to a loss in the hormones. The loss of hormones may also be harmful as it may be related to the reproductive glands.

Gigantism Effects
Gigantism basically leads to an increase in the physical size and stature of the child eo is infected with this disease. But this is not the end of it. Gigantism has many other effects also, and most of them are negative. It leads to retardation of the mind. It also causes certain other problems which affect the pituitary gland too. Its octeroide may have a long term effect on the pituitary gigantism. It may lead to an analgesic effect on the mind and the body. The most harmful effect of gigantism is the occurrence of a correlated disease called Acromegaly.the effects of gigantism on other body parts are as follows: Gigantism Acromegaly Gigantism and Acromegaly are almost synonymous diseases. Acromegaly is also a disorder that results from the over secretion of growth hormone from the body. It is also a similar syndrome that occurs due to excess of the growth hormone. The only difference is that when there is excess production of growth hormone from the body during the childhood, it results in gigantism. However if the similar condition occurs in an adult, then the condition is Acromegaly. The excessive production of the growth hormone is always caused by the pituitary hormone. Acromegaly occurs in an adult, therefore a person of normal person, with a normal stature, suddenly gains height. It is a same disorder and it occurs after the fusion of the growth cartilage in the adult. Its symptoms and causes are similar to that of gigantism. The treatment procedure and diagnosis are also similar. Gigantism Penis The size of the penis due to over secretion of the growth hormone is subjective from individual to individual. It also depends on the timing. If a person has a hyper active pituitary gland, which secretes the growth hormone in excess in adulthood, then, the penis will not increase in size any further. If this disease occurs in childhood, then the penis increases beyond the normal limit and reaches an abnormal size. Penile Gigantism is not compulsory. It is not essential that all types of muscles have the power to grow. Cerebral Gigantism Cerebral gigantism is also known as Sotos Syndrome. It is a genetic disorder, which occurs rarely, and is manifested by excessive physical growth during the initial 2 to 3 years of life. It is often accompanied by a sort of mental retardation, delay in social development and cognitive ability in the child, a low muscle tone, and impairment in speech. The individuals suffer from a disproportionate growth with a large head and protruding forehead.

Gigantism Breast
Gigantism leads to enlargement of the breast beyond the normal size. There may also occur breast vasculitis along with breast gigantism.

Local Gigantism

picture of gigantism It is a condition in which there is an enlargement of a certain body part. Only a certain part of the body acquires a larger size, due to an excessive growth of anatomical features of the body. It occurs in the toes and fingers. There may be cases when the entire limb may be enlarged. It is also known as localized gigantism.

Gigantism Risk Factors

Gigantism is a disease that has several associated risk factors with it. There are certain diseases that occur due to this disease. Some of them are: McCune Albright Syndrome It is a disorder that shows abnormalities in the development of bone and skin pigmentation. Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) A genetic disorder, which occurs due to the formation of a tumor due to an overactive endocrine gland.

Gigantism Diagnosis
It is very important to diagnose this condition correctly and at the right time, so that you can take the proper medication and proper treatment procedures. The mehods by which you can diagnose this condition are:

Taking a CT scan of the head or an MRI scan that shows the pituitary tumor. Diagnosis of the prolactin levels of the body

Increase in the insulin levels

The diagnosis can be verified by a blood test indicating a high level of insulin level in the body. The level of growth hormone fluctuates in the body; therefore a single level is not enough to diagnose the problem. So, it is necessary for the doctors to suppress the level of growth hormone by giving a glucose drink to the patient. The diagnosis may also be carried out by a computed tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patient so as to check the level of abnormal growth n the pituitary gland.

Gigantism Treatments
The most effective way of removing a pituitary tumor is through surgery. Surgery can be used for those tumors which have a well defined border. If it is not possible to surgically remove the tumor, then the patient has to resort to medication. Some of the other ways of treatment for gigantism include consumption of medicinesmedicines like Somatostatin, octeroide, and lareotide reduce the release of growth hormone. Another effective way of bringing the growth hormone to a normal level is through radiation therapy. However, it takes a long time to completely control the over production of growth hormone. Doctors also prescribe the usage of Dopamine Agonists to reduce this hormone level. The ultimate method to control this hormone, and ultimately gigantism is surgery.

Gigantism Prognosis
This disease can sometimes be reduced with a pituitary surgery. Pituitary surgery can be used to limit the secretion of the growth hormone.

Gigantism is definitely a very dangerous disease as the growth condition is not just abnormal, but unhealthy as well. The patient should seek medical help to get cured of this disease.

Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.[2] These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.[3] As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment,[4] they can come in any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces[5] (although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem).[6]

Environment
An environment is a general term which describes the surroundings of a given person or object. A specific environment refers to a very specific area, such as technology. A general environment refers to all of the various factors influencing an individual or an organization such as the economy and society.

Organism
An organism may be either unicellular (a single cell) or, as in the case of humans, comprise many trillions of cells grouped into specialized tissues and organs. The term multicellular (many cells) describes any organism made up of more than one cell. All organisms living on Earth are divided into the eukaryotes and prokaryotes based on the presence or absence of true nuclei in their cells. The prokaryotes represent two separate domains, the Bacteria and Archaea. Eukaryotic organisms are characterized by the presence of a membrane-bound cell nucleus, and contain additional membrane-bound compartmentalization called organelles (such as mitochondria in animals and plastids in plants, both generally considered to be derived from endosymbiotic bacteria).[1] Fungi, animals and plants are examples of kingdoms of organisms that are eukaryotes.

Pollulation
The act or process of polluting or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances. 2. Something that pollutes; a pollutant or a group of pollutants: Pollution in the air reduced the visibility near the airport. OR... The contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of industrial waste. Light from cities and towns at night that interferes with astronomical observations is known as light pollution. It can also disturb natural rhythms of growth in plants and other organisms. Continuous noise that is loud enough to be annoying or physically harmful is known as noise pollution. Heat from hot water that is discharged from a factory into a river or lake, where it can kill or endanger aquatic life, is known as thermal pollution.

Community
he term community has two distinct commutative meanings: 1) Community can refer to a usually small, social unit of any size that shares common values. The term can also refer to the national community or international community, and 2) in biology, a community is a group of interacting living organisms sharing a populated

Different ecological relationship?

Mutualism - both organisms benefit from the other one's presence (flowers supply nectar for
bees, which pollinate the flowers)

Commensalism - one organism benefits while the other is unharmed

( barnacles travelthrough the oceans on the backs of whale, who don't mind their presence)

Examples of commensalism
When you have two organisms; one organism benefits, the other is neither harmed nor helped. Example, a bird and a tree, the bird benefits from the tree for shelter, while the tree is neither harmed nor helped as a result.

Predation/Parasitism - one organism benefits at the expense of another

(Tapeworms in the human intestine gain food and a place to live, while humans lose all food)

Examples of parasitism
Parasitism is a form of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of an organism of a different species. Fleas living on a dog or fleas that bite on human skin are examples of parasitic relationships between organisms of different species. The fleas benefit from the relationship and harm the other organisms by reducing their fitness and probability of survival.