The female ovaries, male testes, and pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands are major constituents of the endocrine system. The endocrine system, made up of all the body's different hormones, regulates all biological processes in the body from conception through adulthood and into old age, including the development of the brain and nervous system, the growth and function of the reproductive system, as well as the metabolism and blood sugar levels. These thyroid hormones stimulate all the cells in the body and control biological processes such as growth, reproduction, development, and metabolism.

The thyroid gland secretes two main hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, into the bloodstream.Testosterone, the sex hormone produced by the testicles, is an androgen. Androgens are responsible for male sex characteristics.They are produced primarily by the ovaries and in small amounts by the adrenal glands. Estrogens are the group of hormones responsible for female sexual development.The hormone-receptor complex switches on or switches off specific biological processes in cells, tissues, and organs. When a hormone binds to a receptor, the receptor carries out the hormone's instructions, either by altering the cell's existing proteins or turning on genes that will build a new protein. Much like a lock and key, many hormones act by binding to receptors that are produced within cells. body growth and energy production (growth hormone and thyroid hormone).differentiation, growth, and function of reproductive organs (testosterone and estradiol) and.Hormones control or regulate many biological processes and are often produced in exceptionally low amounts within the body. Over 50 hormones have been identified in humans and other verterbrates.

Although hormones reach all parts of the body, only target cells with compatible receptors are equipped to respond. Hormones act as chemical messengers that are released into the blood stream to act on an organ in another part of the body. Where are endocrine glands located in the human body?.

Endocrine hormone table