Health Education: What are Hormones and How Do They Work?
What are Hormones? Hormones are chemical signals that help different organs in your body to communicate with each other and maintain homeostasis. What’s homeostasis? This is the balanced state that your body must be in order to function optimally. Take your body temperature, for example. This can’t be too low (hypothermia) or too high (a fever). Your blood pH must also remain close to neutral. Too high and it becomes too alkaline, too low and it’s too acidic.
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How Do They Work?
The Endocrine System
The system of hormones, and the glands that secrete them, is called the endocrine system. The boss of this system is your brain, specifically the hypothalamus. This part of the brain receives signals and stimuli from the outside work and passes on directions in response. These messages are received by different hormone glands in your body and they secrete hormones.
Fast Responses
The best example of a fast-acting hormonal response is the fight or flight response. When you see a mountain lion running toward you, your brain processes that information and sends a message to the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline. Adrenaline is the hormone. Once it goes into the bloodstream, it targets blood vessels, your heart, and your liver. Blood flow is directed away from the digestive system and into the muscles. Your heart beats faster so that more oxygen is available. And finally, your liver releases stored-sugars called glycogen. All these responses prime your body to either run away as fast as you can (flight) or face the mountain lion (fight).
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Slow Responses
Other hormonal responses are slower. For example, if you’re stressed out over a long period of time, your body starts to produce cortisol. This hormone, over time, weakens your immune system, increases your appetite, and makes you gain weight. Other hormones, such as the reproductive hormones, may also be affected. This can lead to missed periods, spotting, or irregular PMS symptoms.
Hormones are a necessity
As you can see, all hormones must come from an endocrine organ and they all have target organs that receive their message. Some hormones, like insulin, target all cells that need glucose. Some hormones, like estrogen, only target specific cells. Without hormones, your brain and your organ system wouldn’t be able to communicate, and the loss of homeostasis always results in death.
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