What are the Different Types of Hormones?

The Different Types of Hormones

Since hormones are secreted by different glands, they also have varying chemical compositions. Based on their chemical compositions, hormones are classified into three main groups:

1. Peptide Hormones

Peptide hormones are made up of small chains of amino acids bound by receptor proteins. They play a crucial role in metabolism and maintaining energy levels.

Some examples of peptide hormones include:

• Growth hormones – They are produced in the thyroid glands and regulate your physical structure.
• Parathyroid hormone – Released by the thyroid glands, these hormones regulate your blood’s calcium levels.
• Glucagon – This is secreted in your pancreas and helps regulate your blood sugar levels.
• Insulin – Also made by the pancreas, this hormone allows you to use sugar for energy. It also regulates your blood sugar levels.
• Ghrelin – Produced in the stomach, this hormone regulates your appetite by telling the brain when your stomach is empty, and it’s time to eat.
• Adrenocorticotropic hormone – This hormone is often released as a response to biological stress. It stimulates the release and production of cortisol, another hormone that regulates your body’s response to stress.
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) – Also known as thyrotropin, this hormone controls the way all other hormones function. It also stimulates the metabolism of almost every tissue in the body.
• Vasopressin – A diuretic hormone, vasopressin helps your kidneys retain water. It’s also known to regulate blood pressure and blood volume.
• Cholecystokinin – It’s a hormone produced in your gut and released after every meal. It helps your body digest fat and protein.
• Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) – As its name suggests, this hormone stimulates the release of growth hormones.
• Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) – It stimulates the production and release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and regulates the growth and function of your thyroid glands.
• Gastrin – This hormone is produced in the stomach and stimulates the release of gastric acid, a substance that helps your body digest and absorb nutrients from food.
• Somatostatin – Also known as growth hormone inhibiting hormone, somatostatin regulates the release of various other hormones. It’s produced in various glands all over the body.
• Luteinizing hormone – This stimulates ovulation in women and the release of testosterone in men. It’s produced in the anterior pituitary gland.
• Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) – Produced in the heart, this hormone helps regulate your blood pressure and maintain body fluids by widening your blood vessels and promoting the excretion of water and salt from your kidneys.
• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) – Women produce hCG during pregnancy. It thickens the lining of the uterus so it can support the growing baby. It also tells the body to stop menstruating.
• Pancreatic polypeptide – This pancreatic hormone regulates the release of other substances made by the pancreas. As such, it can affect your mental health, digestion, and behavior.
• Secretin – It regulates your body’s water levels and the secretion of gastric acid.
• Oxytocin – Also known as the love hormone, oxytocin plays a role in childbirth and breastfeeding. It’s also associated with psychosocial functions like relationship building, trust, and empathy.
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) – Like most sex hormones, FSH regulates reproductive functions in both men and women.
• Human placental lactogen (hPL) – Also released during pregnancy, hPL plays a key role in a pregnant woman’s metabolism and insulin resistance.
• Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) – This hormone regulates your body’s response to stress. It suppresses your appetite, improves selective attention, and increases anxiety.
• Leptin – This hormone is known to regulate your appetite and conversion of foods into energy. As such, normal leptin levels can help your body maintain its normal weight.
• Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) – As the name suggests, it stimulates the production of melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin. This protects our skin from UV damage. It also helps control appetite.
• Angiotensin – If you have heart issues, this hormone can help. It regulates the opening and narrowing of your blood vessels which also helps regulate your blood pressure.
• Renin – Working alongside angiotensin, renin also helps regulate your blood pressure and maintain healthy levels of sodium in the body.
• Amylin – Co-secrete with insulin, this hormone regulates body weight by delaying gastric emptying, decreasing blood glucose levels, and inhibiting food intake.
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) – This hormone tells your pituitary gland to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This, in turn, regulates reproductive functions in both genders.

2. Lipid-Derived Hormones

Most types of lipid hormones are derived from cholesterol and eicosanoids. This includes:

• Estrogen – Found in women, this hormone is primarily responsible for developing female sexual characteristics. It also regulates a woman’s reproductive functions.
• Testosterone – This is the main sex hormone in males. It plays a key role in the development of male reproductive organs like the penis and testes. It also regulates a man’s reproductive processes.
• Aldosterone – This hormone also regulates your blood pressure by regulating your blood’s salt levels.
• Cortisol – Also known as the stress hormone, your body releases cortisol as a response to stress. It increases your blood sugar levels, promotes your brain’s glucose usage, and promotes tissue repair.

3. Amino Acid-Derived Hormones

These types of hormones have relatively small molecules and are derived from tyrosine and tryptophan. This includes:

• Adrenaline – This hormone plays a key role in your body’s fight-or-flight response. It’s usually secreted in large amounts when your body feels it’s in danger. It’s the reason behind the phrase “adrenaline rush.”
• Norepinephrine – Just like adrenaline, this hormone is also vital in your body’s fight-or-flight response. Though it acts more like a neurotransmitter than a hormone.
• Thyroxine – Released by the thyroid gland into the bloodstream, this hormone plays a key role in digestion, brain development, bone health, and muscle function.
• Melatonin – Also known as the sleep hormone, it regulates your body’s sleeping cycle. Your body produces this in response to darkness.
• Lipotropin – If you’re on a weight loss mission, having a healthy amount of lipotropin can help. This hormone promotes fat mobilization in the adipose tissues and regulates the amount of excess fat in your body.

Note that this isn’t by no means a complete list of all bodily hormones. As of this writing, there are still hormones that are yet to be studied or discovered.