You've probably heard a lot about hormones, but do you know what they are?
Hormones are like letters sent through the Mail. They have their recipients written on the envelope, and no one else should read them. These letters contain orders for cells. Usually, the orders refer to starting or stopping a specific task. For example, adrenaline can increase blood pressure, muscle contraction strength, and blood glucose levels to have a quick energy source available. As you can see, the same signal can be directed to multiple recipients, coordinating various cell types and preparing the body, in this case, to flee or fight.
I'm sure you already had some idea of what I've told you, but do you know how they're regulated? Well, the endocrine system is a complex network where many glands are constantly releasing hormones into the organism, but it's perfectly balanced with a very marked hierarchy. My favorite example, because it regulates multiple body systems, is the one that starts with the hypothalamus at the head. Well, this is literal because the hypothalamus is in the head.
It seems like one of those bosses who strive to keep technical advances from reaching their company, but that's not the case. Although some hormones can have a fairly quick response, the important thing about hormonal signals is that they last longer and their action is more prolonged than a nervous impulse.
The pituitary will rewrite the instructions coming from above and send them by hormonal mail to other glands to do their function, coordinating the thyroid, gonads, or adrenal cortex.
Let's choose the adrenals as an example, called that because they're right on top of the kidneys. It would work like this: the hypothalamus keeps throwing paper balls at the pituitary, which unfolds them, reads them, and checks that it needs to ask the adrenals to activate and get to work. So with all the formality in the world, it writes "dear Mrs. adrenal gland, if possible, blah blah blah..." and sends them through Mail. And of course, while the mailman takes the motorcycle, loads it, and arrives to deliver the letters, the hypothalamus keeps throwing paper balls, and the pituitary keeps writing letters.
Hormones are like letters sent through the Mail. They have their recipients written on the envelope, and no one else should read them. These letters contain orders for cells. Usually, the orders refer to starting or stopping a specific task. For example, adrenaline can increase blood pressure, muscle contraction strength, and blood glucose levels to have a quick energy source available. As you can see, the same signal can be directed to multiple recipients, coordinating various cell types and preparing the body, in this case, to flee or fight.
I'm sure you already had some idea of what I've told you, but do you know how they're regulated? Well, the endocrine system is a complex network where many glands are constantly releasing hormones into the organism, but it's perfectly balanced with a very marked hierarchy. My favorite example, because it regulates multiple body systems, is the one that starts with the hypothalamus at the head. Well, this is literal because the hypothalamus is in the head.
The Hypothalamus in Charge
The hypothalamus - I'm repeating the name so you won't forget it - is my favorite. It's the connection between the nervous and endocrine systems. It receives nervous signals but responds with endocrine signals. In other words, the guy gets a notification through an APP, but he goes and writes a handwritten letter and drops it in the mailbox.It seems like one of those bosses who strive to keep technical advances from reaching their company, but that's not the case. Although some hormones can have a fairly quick response, the important thing about hormonal signals is that they last longer and their action is more prolonged than a nervous impulse.
Pituitary, the Coordination Unit
Anyway, the hypothalamus - have you learned the name yet? - has a collaborator to whom it sends most signals, the pituitary or as others call it, the pituitary gland. The pituitary receives instructions in crumpled post-it form because it sits at the next desk. This gland receives instructions from its boss like "notes in paper balls when the teacher isn't looking."The pituitary will rewrite the instructions coming from above and send them by hormonal mail to other glands to do their function, coordinating the thyroid, gonads, or adrenal cortex.
But When Does It Stop?
"Weren't you going to tell me how hormones are regulated?" Yes, yes, I'm getting there.Let's choose the adrenals as an example, called that because they're right on top of the kidneys. It would work like this: the hypothalamus keeps throwing paper balls at the pituitary, which unfolds them, reads them, and checks that it needs to ask the adrenals to activate and get to work. So with all the formality in the world, it writes "dear Mrs. adrenal gland, if possible, blah blah blah..." and sends them through Mail. And of course, while the mailman takes the motorcycle, loads it, and arrives to deliver the letters, the hypothalamus keeps throwing paper balls, and the pituitary keeps writing letters.