Hormones begin their work even before one is born. While most are present throughout our lives, some become more prominent at certain stages of life. Mind Your Body looks at the roles hormones play  The growing years
Growth and thyroid hormones are especially important during childhood. Growth hormone, as its name suggests, enables one to grow taller and also promotes growth-related processes in the body such as protein synthesis and the development of organs. It is released into the blood by the pituitary gland.
The thyroid hormone, on the other hand, is important for brain development and is also involved in the growth and metabolic functions of the body. An illustration of its role in growth is highlighted in congenital hypothyroidism, where children are born with a deficiency of the thyroid hormone, said Dr Stanley Liew, an endocrinologist at Raffles Hospital. If left untreated, children can end up physically stunted and mentally challenged, he said. Puberty
Sex hormones are activated during puberty. In women, the ovaries start to produce oestrogen and progesterone, kickstarting physical changes like breast development. After which ovulation begins, along with the onset of menstruation. In men, puberty starts when the testes produce testosterone. Sperm production, voice deepening and growth of facial hair are some of the changes that ensue. What triggers puberty is unclear. “There is a timing but we don’t know when,” said Associate Professor Lee Yung Seng, a senior consultant at the paediatrics endocrinology and diabetes division at the National University Hospital. What is known is that certain conditions have to be met. “One needs to have a certain amount of fat. If the person is malnourished or has eating disorders like anorexia, puberty won’t occur,” he said. Menopause
Women undergo menopause during middle age, when there is a drastic drop in the sex hormones oestrogen
and progesterone. As a result, women stop having periods and thus can no longer bear children. A commonly held explanation for the onset of menopause is that the ovaries have exhausted their limited supply of eggs. Usually, an egg is released every month during ovulation. However, some are beginning to question the idea of a woman having a limited number of eggs in her lifetime, said Professor Lee Kok Onn, the head of the
endocrinology division at the National University Hospital. This is because some experiments have managed to induce the regeneration and formation of new eggs, he said. Related articles:
Bossy Hormones
Endocrine Disorders |