The biology of a woman's life course: hormonal loop and costs

The article analyzes the female organism as a dynamic regulatory system, contrasting a relational model with a substantialist approach. The author rejects biological reductionism, in which single hormones are attributed to specific emotional states. Instead, the concept of the 'hormonal loop' and neuroendocrine axes based on feedback loops is introduced. A key element is emphasizing that hormonal information is encoded not only in the concentration of substances but primarily in their rhythm, pulsatility (e.g., GnRH), and timing of secretion. The text indicates that one-time laboratory measurements are insufficient for assessing health status as they overlook receptor variability and metabolic context, which is fundamental to understanding a woman's biological life course.