Hormones & Human Endocrine System Reference
A comprehensive guide to human hormones: how each is produced, its functions, the diseases influenced by its levels, deficiency and excess disorders, and who is most at risk — cross-linked with vitamins, minerals, and conditions.
33 entries
- Growth Hormone — The master growth hormone — drives childhood growth, and in adults governs muscle mass, fat breakdown, and tissue repair.
- Prolactin — The milk-making hormone — prepares the breasts for lactation and helps regulate the immune system.
- Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone — The pituitary signal that commands the thyroid gland to make its metabolism-setting hormones.
- Adrenocorticotropic Hormone — The pituitary messenger that tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol in response to stress.
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone — The gonad-stimulating hormone that matures ovarian follicles and drives sperm production.
- Luteinizing Hormone — The ovulation trigger in women and the testosterone driver in men.
- Oxytocin — The bonding hormone — drives uterine contractions in labor, milk let-down, and social connection.
- Antidiuretic Hormone — The water-conserving hormone — tells the kidneys to hold onto water and tightens blood vessels when needed.
- Thyroxine — The main thyroid hormone — sets the metabolic speed of nearly every tissue and is the body's storage form of thyroid hormone.
- Triiodothyronine — The active form of thyroid hormone — the molecule that actually binds to cells and sets metabolic pace.
- Calcitonin — A calcium-lowering hormone from the thyroid that acts as a minor counterweight to parathyroid hormone.
- Parathyroid Hormone — The calcium-raising hormone — keeps blood calcium stable by mobilizing bone, kidney, and gut.
- Cortisol — The body's chief stress hormone — mobilizes fuel, calms inflammation, and follows a daily rhythm that shapes energy and sleep.
- Aldosterone — The adrenal hormone that holds onto sodium and water and excretes potassium — a key lever on blood pressure.
- DHEA — The most abundant adrenal steroid — a precursor the body converts into both male and female sex hormones.
- Adrenaline — The fight-or-flight hormone — floods the body in seconds to prepare for immediate action.
- Noradrenaline — The sympathetic neurotransmitter and hormone — sharpens attention, constricts vessels, and sustains blood pressure.
- Insulin — The master fuel-storage hormone — moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, and its failure defines diabetes.
- Glucagon — Insulin's counter-hormone — raises blood glucose when it falls too low, keeping the brain fueled between meals.
- Estrogen — The primary female sex hormone — shapes puberty, the menstrual cycle, bone strength, and cardiovascular health.
- Progesterone — The hormone of pregnancy and the second half of the menstrual cycle — prepares and then protects the womb.
- Testosterone — The principal male hormone — builds muscle and bone, drives libido, and shapes mood and vitality in both sexes.
- Melatonin — The night-time hormone that sets the body's sleep–wake clock and shields tissues as an antioxidant.
- Leptin — The fat-cell hormone that tells the brain how much energy is stored and signals when to stop eating.
- Ghrelin — The stomach hormone that drives hunger before meals and helps release growth hormone.
- Erythropoietin — The kidney hormone that orders the bone marrow to make red blood cells — vital for oxygen transport.
- Renin — The kidney enzyme that launches the renin-angiotensin system — the body's long-term blood-pressure control.
- Angiotensin II — The active player of the renin-angiotensin system — constricts vessels, drives thirst, and raises blood pressure.
- Gastrin — The stomach hormone that turns on acid production to begin digesting a meal.
- Cholecystokinin — The gut hormone that releases bile and enzymes to digest fat and protein — and signals fullness.
- Secretin — The first discovered hormone — tells the pancreas and liver to release bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid.
- Calcitriol — The active hormone form of vitamin D — finishes the body's conversion of sunlight and food into the molecule that governs calcium and bone.
- Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF23) — Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a hormone produced mainly by bone cells that helps regulate phosphate and vitamin D balance in the body. Abnormal FGF23 levels can affect bone, kidney, and mineral metabolism.
OreganoMEDs is an educational encyclopedia and does not provide medical advice. Always consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.