Have you ever thought about how you get feelings of being excited moody or even hungry
No matter how you are feeling right now
Your body is producing very specific chemical messages to regulate these exact feelings
these chemical messages control most of your bodily functions
Regulating your body temperature how sleepy you are. How emotional or how stressed you are
They can contribute to how much fat your body stores and where it keeps it and also controls when you start puberty
The chemicals that control all of these feelings are called hormones, but what exactly are hormones and how do they work?
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Hormones are tiny single molecule messengers, which take messages to other parts of the body when released into the bloodstream
They are produced and released by endocrine glands the hipa thalamus regulates body temperature
Hunger thirst sleep sex drive and moods and it controls the release of hormones from other glands in the body
the pineal gland regulates sleep
The pituitary gland controls metabolism growth when you go through puberty
reproduction blood pressure and much more
The thyroid produces hormones, which regulate the body's metabolic rate
parts and digestive functions muscle control brain development and bone maintenance the parathyroid
Regulates calcium levels in the body the thymus produces t-cells which are a crucial part of the immune system
The pancreas produces the insulin that helps control blood sugar levels
the adrenal gland controls sex drive and produces cortisol the stress hormone, and of course adrenaline in
Women the ovaries produced female sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone and in men the testes produce
male sex hormones called androgens like testosterone
So really hormones have a part in regulating almost everybody process
the pituitary gland is often referred to as the master gland as it controls many of the others and
The pituitary gland takes orders from the hipper thalamus so these two are like the control center for the body
Let's look at how this works in a bit more detail. Have you ever felt an adrenaline rush?
Maybe you've ridden a roller coaster and your heart was racing
Or perhaps you've been watching a scary film and a sudden noise makes you jump
This is the result of your brain thinking you're in danger and releasing hormones to prepare you for a fight or flight response
Firstly the hipa thalamus tells the pituitary gland about ins which in turn releases a chemical messenger into the bloodstream
The hipa thalamus also sends a nerve signal down the spinal cord, which is quicker
Both the messages Lander the adrenal gland which reacts by producing adrenaline and sending it into the bloodstream
The adrenaline binds to different organs and produces many effects including faster heart rates
heightened alertness
rapid breathing
widened pupils
This is just one of the many hormonal reactions that take place in the body
But it shows us how the glands talk to each other using hormones to relay messages that have real physical effects on the body
Humans have harnessed the power of hormones to their advantage for example many forms of birth control
Use estrogen and progesterone to affect a woman's menstrual cycle and stop the release of an egg amongst other effects
This means a woman can take hormones to stop herself becoming pregnant when she doesn't want to
someone with type 1 diabetes
Cannot produce the hormone insulin
Which is usually produced in the pancreas and therefore must inject it into their body in order to regulate blood sugar levels
Without this option a type 1 diabetic would suffer from serious health problem
Oxytocin known as the love hormone is released when cuddling being intimate with a partner or even playing with a dog
Studies have shown that the hormone can reduce blood pressure which reduces the risk of heart disease
It can also block stress hormones help heal wounds and even reduce swelling
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