Maggie Huang
Book: Aroused
Exhibit: Art Work – Sculpture
Featured Work
Written Work
Artist: | Maggie Huang |
Through my reading and research, I became determined to create a piece in relation to Berthold’s experiments on roosters. It devastated me that his research was dismissed and not given the full attention it deserved. I believe it could’ve kickstarted the field of endocrinology and brought forward other discoveries in the field much earlier than they were actually discovered. I became fascinated by the endocrine system, with its complexity and importance evident in every singleliving organism on Earth. Before reading, I wasn’t aware of the sheer importance of hormones in the body of humans, animals and even plants. I discovered that a lack of, or even just a tiny fault in, the glands that we humans have can result in drastic health problems ranging from diabetes and Addison’s disease to gigantism. Many of these problems may result in death, when left untreated, which meant a considerable portion of the world population suffered needlessly before this field of study was properly developed. It wasn’t until 1889, when endocrinology was fully recognised. This led me back to Berthold’s experiment and the frustration I felt that his experiment was met with disapproval. This topic fascinated me as the endocrine system influences every single part of our bodies down to the smallest cells. The glands involved in this system produce hormones, which act as messengers in our bodies, regulating, controlling and coordinating the activities that go on in there. The hormones control a variety of functions, from metabolism and growth, to reproduction and mood. Now, after years of research and with the aid of modern technology, there have been countless breakthroughs made by endocrinologists, and treatments have been developed for all kinds of glandular problems. Some were even developed thanks to Berthold’s experiment. But even with these discoveries and studies, the endocrine system is still yet to be fully understood. There’s still so much that is unknown about this system and I look forward to hearing about all the new discoveries that will be made in my lifetime. As a result, I made this rooster, standing proud with a brilliant red comb as a symbolism of Berthold’s disregarded discoveries. |