For more in-depth information on those hormones, the reader should consult endocrinology textbooks (e.g., Constanti et al. The article first summarizes some of the basic characteristics of hormone-mediated communication within the body, then reviews the various glands involved in those processes and the major hormones they produce. This article provides an overview of the hormone systems involved in those regulatory processes. Generally speaking, hormones control the growth, development, and metabolism of the body the electrolyte composition of bodily fluids and reproduction. In addition, both systems interact: Stimuli from the nervous system can influence the release of certain hormones and vice versa.

Thus, the two communication systems complement each other. Conversely, hormonal communication, which relies on the production and release of hormones from various glands and on the transport of those hormones via the bloodstream, is better suited for situations that require more widespread and longer lasting regulatory actions. The nervous system generally allows rapid transmission (i.e., within fractions of seconds) of information between different body regions. Two systems help ensure communication: the nervous system and the hormonal (i.e., neuroendocrine) system. Communication among various regions of the body also is essential for enabling the organism to respond appropriately to any changes in the internal and external environments. For example, neither the body temperature nor the levels of salts and minerals (i.e., electrolytes) in the blood must fluctuate beyond preset limits. Many of these hormones are part of regulatory hormonal cascades involving a hypothalamic hormone, one or more pituitary hormones, and one or more target gland hormones.įor the body to function properly, its various parts and organs must communicate with each other to ensure that a constant internal environment (i.e., homeostasis) is maintained.

Other hormone-producing glands throughout the body include the adrenal glands, which primarily produce cortisol the gonads (i.e., ovaries and testes), which produce sex hormones the thyroid, which produces thyroid hormone the parathyroid, which produces parathyroid hormone and the pancreas, which produces insulin and glucagon. Of the pituitary hormones, several act on other glands located in various regions of the body, whereas other pituitary hormones directly affect their target organs. The hypothalamus produces several releasing and inhibiting hormones that act on the pituitary gland, stimulating the release of pituitary hormones. Numerous glands throughout the body produce hormones. A plethora of hormones regulate many of the body’s functions, including growth and development, metabolism, electrolyte balances, and reproduction.

Hormone produced by adrenal gland