Hormones and How They Work Within the Human Body
Hormones and How They Work Within the Human Body
 
A while ago I was asked what I thought about      steroids. And body building. I know absolutely nothing about body building      and discovered I know the same about steroids. So I decided to learn      something in case I was ever asked that question again. Little did I know      what would follow. As I write health articles, mainly about Meniere's   disease, I try to use subjects or      topics that interest both the reader and me. I didnï¿½t appear to have much of      an interest as I promptly forgot to learn anything about steroids, but as      you know, itï¿½s really been in the news. And each time I heard more, I      realized I had no idea what anyone was talking about. (This sounds like the      true confessions of a nurse, doesnï¿½t it?)  Until I started to look for      definitions of a steroid, I really couldnï¿½t figure out how it fit into my      knowledge of physiology and anatomy. I had taught some basics of the      Endocrine system, but this didnï¿½t seem to fit. Then ï¿½the penny droppedï¿½! I      figured out it was part of the endocrine system, but as so often happens,      the focus is on a very specific outcome.
 
That led me to look at all the hormones, of      which steroids are but one classification. The next struggle I had was to      decide if I wanted to do some in-depth research into steroids or would it be      more helpful for a health article, to give an overview of all hormones. And      thatï¿½s what I decided to do. I felt some insight about hormones would help      people understand their bodies more clearly. And as hormones are essential      to your wellbeing, the more you know, the better off you are. Eventually I      will show how steroids relate to your body, and I will include a few links      to sites that I found very helpful and interesting. As I read information on      these sites, it amazed me how people would take one idea and transform it      into something greater than what it was meant to do. By that I mean, someone      discovered anabolic steroids, found they enhanced a part of the body, and      then decided to use more of it. I shudder when I hear people ï¿½druggingï¿½ up      their bodies. We know so much now about chemical effects on it. So why would      a person want to ruin their liver or other parts of their body? Itï¿½s beyond      me.  I hear the word steroid and I think cataract. Scary stuff!
 
So letï¿½s get on with hormones. Nine in fact. And      any of them, when they are out of balance, can cause all sorts of problems.      Therefore each creates a specialty area for the medical community. Entire      careers are built around this knowledge and subsequent treatment methods.
 
In this article we are going to see what each      hormone is and how it relates to your everyday living. You will learn their      ï¿½area of responsibilityï¿½ and what happens to you when there is an imbalance.      The easiest way to create an orderly discussion is to start at the top of      your head and work ï¿½southwardï¿½. Weï¿½ll start with your pineal gland; go to      the pituitary, then the thyroid and parathyroid glands, the thymus and      adrenal glands, the pancreas, and lastly the reproductive glands, your      gonads. I will include definitions as we go along. I wonï¿½t go into much      detail about health (or unhealthy) conditions. Suffice to say they are all      degenerative conditions. And if you recall the American Medical      Associationï¿½s recommendations on the use of nutritional supplements, you may      also recall that these conditions might well be reversible. That would      require some further research and would depend on other things, but it could      well be possible. You have to know where to look.
 
Just as your skin is part of the integumentary      system and your heart is part of the cardiovascular system, your hormones      are part of the endocrine system. This system has two parts: 1) glands and      organs and 2) the hormones that are created and secreted by them. The      function of the hormones, which is a chemical, is to regulate your body.  It      all sounds so simple, yet itï¿½s a vastly complex scenario. However each gland      is assigned a job and it does it automatically. It ï¿½pulls outï¿½ of the blood      stream all the ingredients it requires to manufacturers the appropriate      hormone, and then releases it back into the blood stream for delivery to the      ï¿½targeted areaï¿½. Simple, very practical, effective, and it works. But you      KNOW that there is so much more to this process! This is a complete      oversimplification, but in essence, that is what happens.
 
Before I go any further, I need to make sure you      donï¿½t use this information for anything more than just learning a little      more about your hormones. Please donï¿½t start diagnosing or treating      yourself. These are chemicals and when they are imbalanced, they will affect      all of your body. Your body craves balance. This information is written to      help you learn about your body, but just for interest: not to do more. It      will help you to understand your body and its interactions, and will help      you to ask better questions, should you need medical support.
 
You will quickly recognize some of the major      health conditions (possibly even Meniere's disease) as you read about these hormones. The presence of these      conditions is all to do with a lack of balance or chemical interactions. I      am sure that this little knowledge and your interest will not make you an      expert. If you have any concerns, please contact your primary care health      care professional. However, as endocrinology is a specialty with      sub-specialties, you will most likely be sent to a clinical specialist. Iï¿½m      sure you have heard that many health care students in their medical studies      have ï¿½contractedï¿½ all sorts of diseases. What they studied, they had. You      might feel the same. You probably do not anything remotely similar. So donï¿½t      imagine the worst. Just read for interest.
 
Letï¿½s go back to the blood stream and hormones      being transported to their target area. I need to digress once more here. I      deal so very frequently with blood pressure situations: high, low, or      normal. I want to make you aware how important normal blood pressure is.      Blood distributes everything throughout your body and if the pressure is too      high or too low, it changes when the ï¿½itemsï¿½ reach their destination. Normal      blood pressure is around 120/80  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4473
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003398.htm
 
Your blood pressure will most likely never be      the 120/80 reading. Common sense dictates that sometimes it changes. AND it      does that all day long. That is normal too. There is much you can do to deal      with high blood pressure (hypertension) before you need to resort to drugs      which are more chemicals being distributed throughout your body. Another big      problem I see, and this leads me back to the hormone issue, is that many      people have low blood pressure . Low pressure will slow down the distribution      of ï¿½itemsï¿½ in the blood stream. And it will also make the blood more      sluggish. Two of the major components of blood are oxygen and nutrients. And      a low blood pressure will not deliver these adequately. That might result in      light headedness, fatigue, or dizziness. If your blood pressure is low,      would it not follow that all your hormones might not be delivered in a      timely fashion? Again just think about these issues.
Now Letï¿½s Cover The      Actual Hormones
Hormones are chemical      messengers. Most go directly into your bloodstream. Their job is to regulate      your bodyï¿½s activities and its chemistry: hence the messenger role term. It      is important to remember that all of these hormones work in unison and      interact. Nothing in your body works in isolation. I often tell people that      your blood doesnï¿½t just go to one area: it connects to every cell in your      body, all day and all night long.
The major glands that make      up the human endocrine system are the pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid,      parathyroid, pancreas, adrenals, and the ones of lesser importance include      the pineal body, and the reproductive glands (gonads), which include the      ovaries and testes. There are also some digestive ones, but they pertain to      the digestive system. Here are some sites to give you more detailed      information.
http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?follow-pro=1&vwcatalog=barronseduc&catalog=barronseduc&query=anatomy
 
For our information to flow a little more naturally, I will start at the      head and work to the reproductive glands.
 
The Pineal gland is      a small gland located in the middle of the brain. Its function is to secrete      melatonin, the hormone that regulates your wake-sleep cycle. As it controls      this sleep pattern, any change it its quantity might well change the sleep      pattern. But do remember that the body is very good at adjusting its needs.      It is also thought to delay sexual maturity until the body is ready for      reproduction. Little is known about the actual activities of melatonin. For      a while, everyone seemed to be using it, but I would use it very cautiously.      A healthy body should produce adequate amounts. http://familydoctor.org/258.xml?printxml
 
The Pituitary gland is called the master gland. It is found at the      base of the brain, near another important gland, the hypothalamus. 
It plays a central role in regulating the secretions from many other      hormone-secreting glands of the body. It is very small (pea-size) in      relation to some structures of equal importance, i.e. the heart. It      influences so many areas of the body! Directly and indirectly it controls      your growth, urine production, blood chemistry and reproductive activities.  It also stimulates the growth of bone and other body tissues. It plays a      role in the body's handling of nutrients and mineral in electrolyte balance.      It stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones and it      stimulates the adrenal glands to produce other hormones. It triggers the      contractions of the uterus that occur during labor and activates milk      production at birth. You can see how it affects so many areas of your body.
 
An interesting point to      note is that emotions and seasonal changes have quite an effect on producing      these hormones. HGH
(human growth      hormone), TSH (Thyroid      stimulating hormone: thyrotropin) and ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone: corticotrophin) are the most well known      of the pituitary hormones.
http://www.pituitary.org/glossary/
 
They all have to do with      growth, and you can see an over-abundance or a lack would certainly affect      growth. Two other important hormones are ADH (anti-diuretic) and oxytocin.  The first is responsible for affecting blood pressure. The second is very      important for muscle control in the uterus and milk production at birth. Any      changes in the production of these hormones would affect your growth. You      could have dwarfism or you could be really tall. Your urine production could      be altered. This could well affect your blood pressure. You might be      retaining fluids and get puffy ankles. Your kidneys could be excreting      elements it should keep. Normally a lot of the toxins leave your body      through your kidneys. So you need to have them functioning properly. The      pituitary hormones responsibilities are very widespread indeed!  
The hypothalamus is located in the lower part of the central of the      brain, just above the pituitary gland. It is the primary link between the      endocrine (hormones) system and the nervous system. This makes it a very      important hormone. It activates and controls the part of the nervous system      that in turn controls involuntary body functions, the hormonal system,      regulating sleep and appetite and body temperature and others body      processes. Remember that it isnï¿½t the gland that does this work: itï¿½s the      hormone (messenger). This is done by producing chemicals that either      stimulate or suppress hormone secretions from the pituitary. (It seems to      regulate the regulator.) You can appreciate if this hormone is out of      balance, the messages would be much distorted. For example, getting messages      not to eat as much or to eat more, could result in unhealthy body weights.      Or you would be sleeping too little or too much. Or you could get incorrect      messages that your body temperature is too hot or too cold when in fact it      is just comfortable.
 
The thyroid is situated in the front of your neck and cushions the      parathyroid glands. Feel your way down your throat (trachea), and come to      the space just above the V. stay on the ï¿½ringsï¿½ and you will feel the      thyroid gland. If itï¿½s in good working order (and thatï¿½s what you want,) you      would need to guess at the exact location. It is soft and blends into the      throat area. The thyroid is responsible for growth hormones (can you see how      there is much cross-over in hormonal activities?)  Not only do these control      growth of your body, but also the growth of your cells. Two important      hormones are secreted by the thyroid gland: thyroxine and thyrocalcitonin.      They are common in our medical language now. Thyroxine helps to regulate the      metabolic rate of all body cells. This is the rate at which cells burn fuels      from food to produce energy.  Metabolism is the physical and chemical      processes and reactions happening in your body. It is the generation of heat      and energy by your cells. Energy production is important as it relates to      the ability of your cells to use oxygen. And you know that oxygen is      essential for life. Thyrocalcitonin helps regulate the calcium (and      phosphorous) levels, mainly in the bones of your body. (This has to do with      balance of the electrolyte system in your body.)
Here is a very important point. As the level of thyroid hormones increases      in the bloodstream, so does the speed at which chemical reactions occur in      the body. Can you see how relatively easy it would be to test for abnormal      thyroid conditions? A decrease in thyroid hormone production can result in      decreased energy (lethargy), slow heart rate, dry skin, weight gain, constipation, and feeling cold all the time. You can feel this sluggish      metabolism. This condition is called hypothyroidism. Remember that a slow      pulse reflects a slow heart rate and that can translate into too little or      inadequate amounts of red blood cells carrying oxygen and other      life-sustaining elements throughout your body. But if you have too much      thyroid hormone being secreted, it creates the opposite result. Too much      thyroid hormone may result in weight loss, nervousness, tremors, excessive      sweating, increased heart rate and blood pressure, protruding eyes, and a      swelling in the neck, a very noticeable Adamï¿½s apple (goiter). This      condition is called Hyperthyroidism. If you think this through, you would      understand that your entire body functions would be speeded up, using moirï¿½      fuel that normal. http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/12
Thyroid hormones also play a key role in bone growth and the development of      the brain and nervous system in children. The production and release of      thyroid hormones is controlled by thyrotropin which is secreted by the      pituitary gland, as opposed to the thyroid gland.  Can you see how      interrelated your bodyï¿½s workings are? These messengers constantly work as a      team to rebalance the chemicals in all of your body.
 
Parathyroid glands are like four little buttons attached to the front      of the thyroid gland. These function together and are called the      parathyroids. They release the parathormone hormone, which, with the help of      thyrocalcitonin (from the thyroid gland) regulates the level of calcium and      phosphorus in the blood. This has to do with electrolyte balance. This      system is essential for the chemical functioning of your body. Know that      your body craves balance. This is the system that maintains it and this is      called homeostasis.
Two common problems in your body that can create this imbalance are too much salt and too little potassium . Too much salt causes fluid to be retained in      your body, most often in your legs, and is identified as swelling. It can      also cause fluids to be retained in your lungs, causing respiratory      ï¿½distressï¿½.  This imbalance is often corrected by drawing off the fluid.      However, this might then cause a depletion of potassium that goes along with      the salt (sodium). A low potassium level can lead to slow heart rates,      weakness, and lack of motivation. It may also cause arrhythmias (abnormal      heart beats) because of chemical imbalances that may be caused in the      heartï¿½s electrical system.
Thymus: the thymus is a gland needed early in life for normal immune      development and function. The thymus gland secretes hormones called ï¿½humoral      factorsï¿½. These hormones help to develop the lymphatic system. This is the      system throughout your body that helps it to reach a mature immune response      in cells to protect them from invading bodies, like bacteria, viruses and      other intruders. The thymus hormone, thymosin, is responsible for the growth      and development of the lymphocytes, which are becoming more researched and      known to be important.
 
This hormone is directly      related to your bodyï¿½s ability to withstand many ï¿½intrudersï¿½. I have always      questioned the need for tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies. I saw them as a      protective mechanism of the body. Research is now encouraging the end to      this practice. I digress, but it makes more sense to me to keep your body      parts inside of you and as healthy as you can make them. Somehow cleaning      them out and restoring their functions makes more sense to me now more than      ever. If you do any research on the thymus gland, you will very quickly be      overwhelmed with information on the deficiency to the immune system and its      possible problems. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000818.htm . We      are frequently given ï¿½immunosuppressant drugs. Why would someone want to      suppress the bodyï¿½s natural response to anything unwanted? Would it not be      wiser to rebuild it? And you know now that as the American Medical      Association says, it is possible. Please research this closely if you feel a      need.  Consider strengthening your body naturally.
 
Adrenals
:      what I want of discuss next is an OVERVIEW. Please do NOT use this for a      school project or to make any final decisions. These hormones are very      complex. I will try and simplify this topic, but that's all it will be: an      oversimplification of a very important part of our body. I thought it would      be interesting to share my experiences in doing research for this particular      part. I used four medical texts (here in my office) and five online medical      research sites. No two resources gave the identical information! I was      surprised to come across to this lack of definite descriptions. I say this      so you will not use this as the final answer.  There doesnï¿½t seem to be one.      Sites used such terms as ï¿½apparentlyï¿½ and ï¿½it seemsï¿½. That told me this was      still subject to interpretation. So I will try to share what I learned.
 
Your adrenals are very      important in your life. You have two. One lies on the top of each kidney. If      you donï¿½t know where your kidneys are, run your hand to the bottom of your      ribs at your back. Then run your hand up from the hip on the same side: in      between lie your kidneys. You have to use your imagination a bit, but if you      were having kidney surgery, you would be placed on your side and a little      bar would be elevated under this area to ï¿½exposeï¿½ that portion of the      kidney.
 
Each adrenal gland has two distinctive parts: the cortex and the medulla. I      will digress here for a moment to show how important medical terminology is      and how it can pinpoint a location. The word cortex will be adjusted to      ï¿½cortiï¿½ or ï¿½corticoï¿½ or ï¿½corticalï¿½. They all give a hint that this word is      somehow related to the outer part of something: and in this case the      adrenals. It immediately gives the health professional some insight and      knowledge of what ï¿½threadï¿½ or subject to look for next. Medical terminology      says a lot in a few words!
 
Each produces different      hormones and each has a different function. (Some medical texts divide this      into three parts, but that's too complex for our needs.)  Together both      parts produce hormones such as the precursors to male & female sex hormones,      glucocorticoid hormones, and mineralocorticoid hormones and chemicals such      as adrenalin and dopamine. Situations where the glands produce either too      many or too few hormones than required by your body, is where you can run      into health problems. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002219.htm
You need to remember that      the pituitary and reproductive glands are also very closely involved along      with the adrenal hormones. A precursor is an element required for the      manufacture of the main ï¿½itemï¿½.
These hormones influence or regulate many functions such as salt, potassium      and water balance in the body (electrolyte concentration). Each one controls      part of the body's response to stress, metabolism, your immune system, and      sexual reproductive functions. These hormones help the body control blood      sugar, and increase the burning of protein and fat. They respond to      stressors like fever, major illness, and injury. They control blood volume      and help to regulate blood pressure by acting on the kidneys to help them      hold onto enough sodium and water.  They support the body's immune system.
Chemically, all the cortical hormones are steroids. Steroids are hormones      that affect the development and growth of sex organs. Testosterone (male)      and estrogen (female) are examples of such steroids, i.e. hormones.      Incidentally, synthetic steroids are useful for cancer treatments, but they      might have undesirable side-effects. When they are used for this purpose      their function then is to alter the metabolism of the cancer cell growth. It      would also have an effect on the regular cells as well.
Let's look at the hormones produced by the inner area of the adrenal gland      (medulla). This area produces epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine.      They increase your heart rate, open your airway to improve oxygen intake,      and increase the blood flow to your muscles, when you are scared, excited,      or under stress. In effect, epinephrine increases blood pressure and heart      rate when the body experiences stress.  Norepinephrine also is made by the      adrenal medulla, but this hormone is more related to maintaining normal      activities as opposed to emergency reactions. But too much norepinephrine      can cause high blood pressure. 
If the adrenal glands are not functioning properly, the cause could be due      to a problem in another gland. For instance, the hypothalamus or pituitary      glands could fail to produce hormones that control the adrenal glands. Or a      problem inside the adrenal gland could be caused by some kind of disease or      infection in or around it. As mentioned before, major problems will occur      when the adrenal glands produce too many or too few hormones. A lack of      hormones from the adrenal medulla (the inner part) produces no significant      effects. On the other hand, an increase amount, usually from a tumor, causes      prolonged or continual nerve responses. It would be like always being in a      fight/flight readiness: tense and anxious.
There are two important disorders caused by problems with the adrenal cortex      (outer area): Cushing's syndrome and Addison's Disease.
Cushing's syndrome is a disease diagnosed by increased production of      cortisol or by excessive use of cortisol. If you recall, the role of the      pituitary gland (in the brain) is to regulate glands and other functions. In      this case, it is allowing excessive secreting of the adrenocorticotropic      hormone (ACTH) (growth). This hormone, normally released during stressful      situations, controls the body's use of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.  When ACTH is secreted by the pituitary gland, the adrenal glands release      cortisol. Now you have too much cortisol. This can lead to all sorts of      complications such as hypertension, diabetes, infections, kidney stones,      etc. They all relate to the areas that they control with their hormone      secretion.
Addison's disease is a hormone deficiency caused by damage to the outer      layer of the adrenal gland (adrenal cortex). The problem in this situation      is that if a person gets into a stressful situation, they have few normal      resources available to provide fight/ flight responses. So stress has to be      kept to a minimum. And how easy is that to do?
 
Pancreas: again I want to make sure this information is used only for      interest. I'll try to make this simple although it is enormously complex.      The pancreas and its elements are very complicated.  All I am doing here is      creating an overview. Because of the very actions of these hormones, you      must not try to diagnose or treat yourself. However you have a chance to      understand the reason behind diabetes and you can choose to do something      about it. Be aware of the close spelling of glycogen, glucose and glucagon.      Glucose is a "simple" sugar. Glycogen is another sugar. (It is derived from      glucose.) Glucagon is a hormone. The pancreas is a large longish gland that      sits a little behind your stomach, but also around the top of it. The Islets      of Langerhans produce two hormones: insulin and glucagon. They are needed to      metabolize glycogen into glucose within the body to provide fuel for life.      While the pancreas is also part of this hormone-secreting system, it is also      associated with the digestive system because it also produces and secretes      digestive enzymes.
Your body needs fuel to run. This process is called metabolism.  Without it      you cannot live. You eat an egg with some toast, but your body cannot use      the egg and toast in that form. So it needs to be transformed into something      that can be transported by your blood stream to each and every cell in your      body. (You can't have an egg on a piece of toast flowing through your      bloodstream.)
That egg and toast are made up of many "ingredients:  fats, carbohydrates,      proteins (macronutrients) plus antioxidants, minerals etc. (micronutrients).      In order for these to be changed into usable fuel, the pancreas gets an      automatic message to release a hormone called insulin. The insulin converts      this meal into a good "sugar" and you now have fuel that flows through your      bloodstream to give you energy for your activities, including all those      activities your body does that you donï¿½t know about. Extra sugar (glycogen)      that is not ï¿½matchedï¿½ with insulin will now be stored in your liver or in      your muscles. (The extra donut and fries.)
But imagine you feel hungry. If you don't have any food to give it, it means      your the body is short of fuel. The pancreas then sends a message via      glucagon to the liver to release some glycogen. This glycogen is then      converted into glucose which is now your fuel. If you continue to "borrow" from your storage supply, its load will eventually be depleted.  Your      muscles, another source of glycogen, will then be depleted. They will become      emaciated. If you don't continue to fuel your body (starvation), you will      eventually die. So the roles of insulin and glucagon are to be messengers in      keeping your fuel supply even. Glucagon is the opposite hormone of insulin.      It essentially takes stored fat and changes it into sugar as means of      increasing blood sugar levels (fuel).
As long as you provide good food, the hormones will work together to      maintain a steady level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood and to keep the      body supplied with fuel to produce and maintain stores of energy. Amazing      findings are being revealed about what takes place in our bodies when we eat      what is now referred to as a high glycemic meal. I urge you to study this      reseouce and use it to keep your body healthy.