The Importance Of Hormones in Your Body

The human body is made up of complex network of vessels, capillaries and other necessary component structures that interact and communicate with the brain, to ensure normal functioning of the body. One of the important components of the body are hormones, which are produced in glands situated in various areas of your body. There are multiple glands throughout the body, and each gland produces specific hormones designed to carry out certain functions.

Hormones are special chemical messengers in the body that are created in the endocrine glands. These messengers control most major bodily functions, from simple basic needs like hunger to complex systems like reproduction, and even emotions and mood. Having a clear understanding of the major hormones and what they do will help patients take control of their health.

They are actually seen as tiny chemical messengers located inside of your body. They are unable to be seen with the human eye and travel throughout the internal superhighway , the bloodstream – into all of your body’s organs and tissues. Different hormones perform specific roles inside of your body. Some of these hormones work quickly to start or stop a process, and some will continually work over the course of a long period of time to perform their necessary jobs. Some of these jobs include the body’s growth and development, metabolism (or production of energy), sexual function and reproduction.

Hormones in your body determine your growth, weight, physique, mood, behavior, digestion, fertility, overall health, almost everything.

The endocrine system
The endocrine glands are a highly specialized group of cells responsible for making hormones. These glands are located throughout your entire body. Each gland plays a specific role in the production of a particular hormone or group of hormones needed to carry out the necessary duties required by your body to help the body remain in a state of homeostasis. or continual balance. The body requires a continual state of balance in order to function at its maximum level of efficiency. If, for any reason, your body is ever found to be outside of homeostatic balance, there could be significant negative results if the body is not repaired within a certain period of time.

When a person is exposed to cold weather for an extended period of time, the body’s internal temperature begins to fall. The body’s temperature must remain within a certain range in order for the continual balance of homeostasis to occur and ensure all organs and systems are functioning properly. In order to remain in homeostatic balance, certain hormones are sent to specific cells and tissues to trigger a sensation which generates heat within the body and causes you to experience things such as shivering and the chattering of your teeth. These indications remind you that it is time to find a warmer location so your body may begin working to restore its internal temperature back to the range needed for proper body functions to occur. If the body temperature continues to fall, and you are unable to find a way to generate the heat required to reverse this problem, organs and systems will slowly begin to fail.

When they are in proper balance, hormones help the body thrive, but small problems with hormones can cause serious and life-altering symptoms. If you have concerns about any of your hormones, talk to a qualified endocrinologist.

Hormones are created by glands, which are part of the endocrine system. The main hormone-producing glands are:

• Hypothalamus: The hypothalamus is responsible for body temperature, hunger, moods and the release of hormones from other glands; and also controls thirst, sleep and sex drive.

• Parathyroid: This gland controls the amount of calcium in the body.

• Thymus: This gland plays a role in the function of the adaptive immune system and the maturity of the thymus, and produces T-cells.

• Pancreas: This gland produces the insulin that helps control blood sugar levels.

• Thyroid: The thyroid produces hormones associated with calorie burning and heart rate.

• Adrenal: Adrenal glands produce the hormones that control sex drive and cortisol, the stress hormone.

• Pituitary: Considered the “master control gland,” the pituitary gland controls other glands and makes the hormones that trigger growth.

• Pineal: Also called the thalamus, this gland produces serotonin derivatives of melatonin, which affects sleep.

• Ovaries: Only in women, the ovaries secrete estrogen, testosterone and progesterone, the female sex hormones.

• Testes: Only in men, the testes produce the male sex hormone, testosterone, and produce sperm.
These glands work together to create and manage the body’s major hormones.

Major Types of Hormones
What do hormones do, exactly? The body has many different hormones, but certain types have a bigger role to play in the body’s health and well-being. Understanding these roles is important for those looking to protect and manage their health. Instead the blood flows through these glands and carry away. So they are termed as endocrine glands.

Most of the hormones are named after the gland from which they are secreted.

• These are then carried by blood into target tissues where they show their effect.

• They regulate most of the body physiology and functions.

• They bring such changes by acting at the level of genetic material or protein formation machinery of the cell.

• These hormones if deficient or if excess can lead to hormonal disorders.

• These can have deleterious effect on the health and physiology.

Hormones in your sexuality
For women, estrogen (or estradiol) is the main sex hormone. It causes puberty, prepares the body and uterus for pregnancy, and regulates the menstrual cycle. During menopause, estrogen level changes cause many of the uncomfortable symptoms women experience.

Every woman reaches a stage in her life when she wants to have babies and experience the joys of motherhood. However, there are various physical and physiological changes that occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy. These changes are brought about by female hormones, each of which plays a specific role. The levels of hormones change during pregnancy, and each hormone has a specific function. Certain hormones after pregnancy eventually decrease in secretion till they are brought down to a normal level or eliminated.

Progesterone is similar to estrogen but is not considered the main sex hormone. Like estrogen, it assists with the menstrual cycle and plays a role in pregnancy.
Cortisol has been called the “stress hormone” because of the way it assists the body in responding to stress. This is just one of several functions of this important hormone.
Melatonin levels change throughout the day, increasing after dark to trigger the responses that cause sleep.

Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men. It causes puberty, increases bone density, triggers facial hair growth, and causes muscle mass growth and strength.
The sex hormones are estrogen and testosterone. Like all hormones, they are chemical messengers, substances produced in one part of the body that go on to tell other parts what to do. Both women and men produce both estrogen and testosterone, though in different quantities, and both sexes produce less as they age. These hormones seems to affect libido , by altering the threshold for erotic stimulation.

In most animal species the brain controls and regulates sexual behavior primarily by means of hormones. Man and other primates are exceptions to this role because he depends on personal experience and cultural aspects than its does on hormones. However, hormones seems to affect your being able to be aroused, by altering the threshold for erotic stimulation, regardless of weather the threshold in question is one of peripheral tissue sensitivity.

Imbalance
Today, ‘Hormonal imbalance’ is a concern worldwide. Women are more likely to face effects of hormone imbalance as they undergo several stages of hormonal changes during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and menopause. Hormone imbalance can destroy your health and looks; and when available in proper proportions, hormones can keep you young, healthy and cheerful. Hormones determine the ‘flight or fight’ response of your body. They help manage excessive stress and they keep depression and the related diseases away.