Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. Most of these hormones travel in the bloodstream where they are transported to tissues or organs. These chemical messengers are made by your endocrine glands — special groups of cells that make hormones.

Major endocrine glands include the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, and the pancreas. The testes in men and ovaries in women are reproductive organs that have endocrine functions as well. In addition, organs such as the stomach, intestines, and the heart have hormone-secreting cells but hormone production is not their primary function.

In general, hormones work slowly over time. It can affect many different processes in the body, including:

 Metabolism—how the body gets and uses energy.

 Growth and development

 Sexual function

 Reproduction

 Mood

Hormones are very powerful substances. A small amount of the hormone can cause big changes in cells and even the whole the body. That is why an increase or decrease in production of a certain hormone can lead to serious health problems.


Reference:
Medline Plus Health Topics (November 2008). Hormones. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD. Web URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hormones.html. Accessed: November 9, 2008

Page Last Revised: November 27, 2010

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