Hormones

Okay, you all know a little something about hormones (are any of you teenagers?), but do you really know what they are? Well, hormones are chemical compounds secreted by the endocrine glands that are important in lots of different bodily functions, including the transmission of information throughout the body. Here are some of the glands responsible for the production of different hormones: hypothalamus (releasing hormones), pituitary gland (e.g., growth hormone), adrenal gland (e.g., epinephrin - associated with sympathetic nervous system functioning), gonads (e.g., testosterone, estrogen, etc., necessary for development of sex specific characteristics like body hair, reproductive organs, etc.), kidneys (e.g., renin, involved in regulation of blood pressure), pancreas, thyroid, and pineal gland.