Adrenaline (Epinephrine) | Adrenal Glands | To prepare the body for fight or flight response in times of stress. It increases the heart rate, blood pressure, the size of the pupil in the eye. |
Aldosterone (Electrocortin) | Adrenal Glands | It helps to maintain blood pH by regulating blood levels of sodium, potassium and hydrogen. |
Cortisol (Hydrocortisone) | Adrenal Glands | Controls blood sugar levels and salt and water balance, regulates metabolism, influences memory formation etc. Blood levels of cortisol are high in the morning and fall later in the day. In people working at night this pattern gets reversed. |
Calcitonin (Thyrocalcitonin) | Thyroid Gland | It helps in regulating the levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood. |
Thyroxine (T4) | Thyroid Gland | It is inactive and most of it is converted in Triiodothyronine by the kidneys and liver. |
Triiodothyronine (T3) | Thyroid Gland | Most of T3 is converted from T4 by the kidneys and liver. It is the active form of Thyroxine and plays an important role in body’s metabolic rate, heart and digestive functions, muscle control, brain development and the maintenance of bones. |
Parathyroid Hormone | Parathyroid Glands | It regulates the levels of calcium in the blood. |
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) (Thyrotropin) | Pituitary Gland | It controls production of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. |
Prolactin | Pituitary Gland | Promotes the production of milk. It has several other functions in the body. |
Somatotropin (Growth Hormone) | Pituitary Gland | Promotes growth in children, maintains normal body structure and metabolism in adults. |
Erythropoietin (EPO) | Kidneys | It stimulates bone marrow to increase the production of red blood cells and it also acts on red blood cells to protect them against destruction. |
Vitamin D (Calcitriol) | Kidneys | Only 10% is received from food, the rest being manufactured in the body. Vitamin D is important for the absorption of calcium from food and also for the formation of new bone in children and adults. |