How do hormones function in our bodies? What are hormones? Do you know anything about genetics? These questions and more will be discussed in detail in the following essay. Hormones and heredity are two very different things; the only thing they have in common is that they both start with the letter “H”. Let’s break them down individually for a better understanding of what they are and how they are related to our bodies.
The endocrine system plays a key role in helping to coordinate and integrate complex psychological reactions. The endocrine glands release chemical substances called hormones that are carried throughout the body by the bloodstream to help regulate bodily activities. Hormones organize the nervous system and body tissues; for example, during puberty hormones trigger the development of secondary sex characteristics like breasts in females or a deeper voice in males. Hormones activate behaviors; they affect such things as alertness or sleepiness, excitability, sexual behavior, ability to concentrate, aggressiveness, reactions to stress, and even desire for companionship. They can also have a dramatic effect on mood, emotional reactivity, ability to learn, and ability to resist disease. There are various glands located in the body which help secrete hormones into our bodies; pituitary glands are located on the underside of the brain; it produces the largest number of the body’s hormones and has the widest range of effects on the body’s functions. The pineal gland is located in the middle of the brain; it secretes the hormone melatonin, which helps to regulate sleep-wake cycles. The thyroid gland is located just below the larynx or as it is better known, the voice box; it produces one primary hormone, thyroxin, which regulates the body’s rate of metabolism and, thus, how alert and energetic people are and how fat or thin they tend to be. An overactive thyroid can produce a variety of symptoms, including over excitability, insomnia, and reduced attention span. Too little thyroxin leads to the other extreme; constantly feeling tired and wanting to sleep. Drastic changes in some hormones may also contribute to serious psychological disorders, such as depression.
Behavior genetics focuses on the extent to which heredity accounts for individual differences in behavior and thinking. Evolutionary psychology studies the evolutionary roots of behaviors and mental processes that all human beings share. Genetics is the study of how living things pass on traits from one generation to the next. Genes are elements that control the transmission of traits; they are found on the chromosomes; for example, if people say you have your dad’s nose or your mother’s hair which is because of your genes that you inherited from either parent through their chromosomes while you were in the womb. Genes, like chromosomes, occur in pairs; in some cases such as eye color, one may be dominant and the other recessive. So if your mother has brown eyes and your father has blue eyes and your father’s gene is the dominant and your mother’s is the recessive gene, you will have blue eyes. Polygenic inheritance is the process by which several genes interact to produce a certain trait; responsible for our most important traits; such as weight, height, skin pigmentation, intelligence, etc. Your own unique genetic “blueprint” is internally coded on your 46 match chromosomes and is called your genotype. Your genotype is contained in every cell of your body, except for reproductive cells.
Now that we have a breakdown of hormones and heredity; we can answer the questions asked earlier. What hormones are and how they function; as well as a breakdown of what genetics are and how specific genes are passed from a mother/father to their child. Both hormones and heredity are complex systems that help our bodies function or explain different traits we inherit.

References

Morris, C. G., & Maisto, A. A. (2010). Understanding Psychology (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.