In the course of our lives our bodies go through numerous extraordinary transformations: we get older as we age, go through puberty, and a lot people reproduce. In the background, the endocrine system is working continually to control these changes. Along with sexual maturity and growth, the system controls everything from your sleep patterns to the beat of your heart, exerting its power on each of the cells in your body.
The endocrine system is based on interactions between three elements in order to function which includes hormones, glands, and trillions of receptors in cells. In the first place, there are many glands that produce hormones, including three in your brain and seven located in the rest part of the body.
Each one is enclosed by a system of blood vessels from which they obtain ingredients for the production of dozens of hormones. These hormones are then released out in small amounts typically into the bloodstream. Once there, every hormone must find the target cells to trigger a particular modification. To locate its target it is assisted through receptors. These are specific proteins that are found inside and on cells’ surfaces. The receptors detect certain hormones when they pass through, and then bind to them. If this happens, the hormone-receptor combo triggers a wide range of reactions that increase or reduce certain processes within cells to alter the way cells behave. Through exposing millions of cells to hormones that are controlled in amounts The endocrine system triggers huge-scale changes in the body.
For instance, consider the thyroid and its two hormones triiodothyronine as well as thyroxine. These hormones reach the majority of our cells, and they affect the speed at which the cells utilize energy and the speed at which they perform. They also regulate everything from heartbeat to breathing, body temperature, as well as digestion. Hormones can also cause the most obvious and well-known effects in puberty.
In males, puberty is initiated when the testes begin to secrete testosterone. This triggers the gradual growth of sexual organs. It causes facial hair to grow, and makes the voice grow deeper and height to grow. The release of estrogen through the ovaries signals the beginning of the process of becoming an adult. It aids in the development of the body and expands the hips and increases the thickness of the womb’s lining. It also prepares the body for menstrual cycle or the birth of a baby.
A common misconception about the hormonal system of the endocrine gland is that there are only male hormones that are female and male. In reality, both women both have testosterone and estrogen but in different amounts. Both hormones play an important role during pregnancy, too as over 10 other hormones which help to ensure the development of the fetus. They also allow birth, and assist the mother with feeding her baby.
The hormonal fluctuations can also be associated with changes in mood. This is because hormones influence the creation of specific chemical substances in the brain, such as serotonin. If chemical levels change and they affect mood and vice versa. However, that doesn’t mean hormones don’t have any power over us. They’re usually considered to be the primary drivers of our behavior, rendering us dependent on their effects particularly when we enter puberty.
However, research suggests that our behaviour is determined by a range of factors, such as the brain and its neurotransmitters our hormones, as well as a variety of social variables. The principal purpose of the endocrine systems is to regulate the processes of our body and not to control our behavior.
Sometimes, stress or even diets can alter the regulatory process however, affecting the amount of hormones glands produce or altering the way cells react. Diabetes is among the most frequent hormonal conditions that occur when the pancreas releases insufficient insulin, which is a hormone that regulates the blood sugar level. Hypo- and hyperthyroidism are caused by thyroid glands that produces too little or excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. If there’s a deficiency in thyroid hormone, it causes a slower pace of heart, fatigue and depression. Likewise, when the thyroid hormone is too high, it can cause that causes weight loss, sleeplessness and even irritability.
However, most of the time the endocrine system is able to maintain the body in a healthy state. By constantly regulating it triggers the changes that eventually allow us to become who we are.
