Hormones are chemical compounds produced by endocrine glands and reach the desired location by traveling through the bloodstream. They promote body tissues or organs to do their desired works well by controlling and coordinating the various activities throughout our body. Thus hormones are very much essential for the various functioning of our body (e.g. the body’s growth, development, metabolism, sexual function, reproduction, etc.).
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Characteristics of Hormones
Following are some characteristics of hormones:
- Hormones are secreted by special tissues in various endocrine glands in small amounts.
- They work on specific tissues or organs in our body.
- After secretion, they mix directly into the bloodstream and thus travel throughout the body through the blood circulatory system.
- They have their effect on the tissues and organs different from where they are secreted.
- Different hormones have different effects like some of these work quickly to start or stop a process and some continuously work over a long period of time to perform their specific functions.
- Various body functions are affected and developed various symptoms or diseases when necessary hormones are released in more or less quantity.
- In one word we can say, they act as messengers that control and coordinate the various activities throughout our body.
Types of Hormones
There are several types of hormones and they act differently on different body parts and different aspects and different bodily functions (e.g. body growth, reproduction, development, metabolism, sexual function, etc.). Their required amount, time period, and working procedure are also different. For example, some of these hormones work quickly to start or stop a process, some will continually work to perform their desired specific functions, and also when secretion happens in more or less quantity there may develop various symptoms. This article explains various important hormones necessary for our body functions and also covers diseases when produced in an unusual manner.
