Hormones and glands chart
Major Hormones
Regulates energy balance by controlling appetite
Blocks the effects of insulin on muscle
Helps regulate salt and water balance by causing the kidneys to retain salt and water and excrete potassium
Has widespread effects throughout the body
Especially has anti-inflammatory action
Maintains blood sugar level, blood pressure, and muscle strength
Used in the production of androgens (male sex hormones) and estrogens (female sex hormones)
Has effects on bone, mood, and the immune system
Stimulate the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and nervous system
Controls gallbladder contractions that cause bile to enter the intestine
Stimulates release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas
Controls growth hormone release from the pituitary gland
Increases insulin release from the pancreas
Controls smooth muscle cell activity, epithelial cell secretions, and blood flow in the gastrointestinal tract
Stimulates release of corticotropin (also called adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH])
Stimulates release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone
Inhibits release of growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and insulin
Stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin
Controls sodium, potassium, and water levels that affect blood pressure
Controls the development of female sex characteristics and the reproductive system
Prepares the lining of the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg and readies the mammary glands to secrete milk
Affects the processing (metabolism) of sugar, protein, and fat throughout the body
Controls bone formation, blood calcium level, and the excretion of calcium and phosphorus by the kidneys
Corticotropin (also called adrenocorticotropic hormone [ ACTH ])
Controls the production and secretion of hormones by the adrenal glands
Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone
Control reproductive functions, including the production of sperm and semen in men and egg maturation and menstrual cycles in women
Control male and female sexual characteristics (including hair distribution, muscle formation, skin texture and thickness, pitch of voice, and perhaps even personality traits)
Causes muscles of the uterus to contract during childbirth and after delivery and stimulates contractions of milk ducts in the breast, which move milk to the nipple
Starts and maintains milk production in the ductal glands of the breast (mammary glands)
Stimulates the production and secretion of hormones by the thyroid gland
Causes kidneys to retain water to prevent dehydration and, along with aldosterone, helps control blood pressure
Stimulates ovaries to continue to release progesterone during early pregnancy
Keep uterus receptive to fetus and placenta during pregnancy
Controls the development of male sex characteristics and the reproductive system
Tends to decrease blood calcium levels and helps regulate calcium balance
Regulate the rate at which the body functions (metabolic rate)
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