How do your hormones work? - Emma Bryce

翻译人员: Monkey Luffy 校对人员: Tianai Song

Over the course of our lifetimes,

在我们的一生中，

our bodies undergo a series of extraordinary metamorphoses:

身体会经历一系列奇特的变化：

we grow,

我们成长，

experience puberty,

经历青春期，

and many of us reproduce.

许多人产下后代。

Behind the scenes,

在这些变化的背后，

the endocrine system works constantly to orchestrate these changes.

内分泌系统担任着指挥家的角色。

Alongside growth and sexual maturity,

除了生长和性成熟以外，

this system regulates everything from your sleep

内分泌系统还负责调解你的睡眠

to the rhythm of your beating heart,

和心跳的节奏，

exerting its influence over each and every one of your cells.

它的影响延伸到 你身体里的每个细胞。

The endocrine system relies on interactions

内分泌系统依靠

between three features to do its job:

这三种东西的互动：

glands,

腺体、

hormones,

荷尔蒙

and trillions of cell receptors.

以及数以万亿计的细胞受体。

Firstly, there are several hormone-producing glands:

首先，你的身体里有 几个生产荷尔蒙的腺体。

three in your brain,

大脑里有三个，

and seven in the rest of your body.

身体其他部分有七个。

Each is surrounded by a network of blood vessels,

每个腺体都被血管网所包围，

from which they extract ingredients to manufacture dozens of hormones.

腺体从血管网中获取 制造荷尔蒙的原材料。

Those hormones are then pumped out in tiny amounts,

这些荷尔蒙随后被腺体排出，

usually into the bloodstream.

通常是排放到血液中。

From there, each hormone needs to locate a set of target cells

从这里开始，每一个荷尔蒙 都需要以一种细胞为目标，

in order to bring about a specific change.

这样才能造成一个特定的身体变化。

To find its targets, it’s helped along by receptors,

在寻找目标的时候， 细胞受体帮了大忙，

which are special proteins inside or on the cell’s surface.

它们是细胞表面特殊的蛋白质。

Those receptors recognise specific hormones as they waft by,

当血液流过时， 这些细胞受体能辨识特定的荷尔蒙，

and bind to them.

然后跟它们配对结合。

When this happens,

这时，

that hormone-receptor combination triggers a range of effects

荷尔蒙和细胞受体的结合 会引起一系列的反应，

that either increase or decrease specific processes inside the cell

像是增加或减少细胞内特定的过程，

to change the way that cell behaves.

来改变细胞的行为。

By exposing millions of cells at a time

通过一次将数百万个细胞

to hormones in carefully-regulated quantities,

暴露在精心调节数量的激素中，

the endocrine system drives large-scale changes across the body.

内分泌系统驱动了了 人体内大规模的变化。

Take, for instance, the thyroid and the two hormones it produces,

以甲状腺和 它分泌的两种荷尔蒙，

triiodothyronine and thyroxine.

三碘甲状腺氨酸和甲状腺素为例。

These hormones travel to most of the body’s cells,

这些荷尔蒙会达到 身体的大部分细胞，

where they influence how quickly those cells use energy

这会影响细胞消耗能量的速度，

and how rapidly they work.

以及细胞工作的速度，

In turn, that regulates everything from breathing rate

进而调节身体的每一个动作， 像是呼吸速度、

to heartbeat,

心跳、

body temperature,

体温

and digestion.

和消化。

Hormones also have some of their most visible—and familiar—effects

荷尔蒙在一段时间有着最明显， 也是人们最熟悉的影响，

during puberty.

那就是青春期。

In men, puberty begins when the testes start secreting testosterone.

对于男性来说，青春期开始于 睾丸开始分泌睾丸素。

That triggers the gradual development of the sexual organs,

这促成了性器官的逐渐发育，

makes facial hair sprout,

胡须生长，

and causes the voice to deepen

以及声音变低沉，

and height to increase.

还有身高增长。

In women, estrogen secreted from the ovaries signals the start of adulthood.

对于女性来说，卵巢开始分泌 雌性激素意味着女性生理成年，

It helps the body develop,

从而帮助身体发育，

makes the hips widen,

使得臀部变宽，

and thickens the womb’s lining,

子宫壁变厚，

preparing the body for menstruation or pregnancy.

帮助身体为怀孕或月经做好准备。

An enduring misconception around the endocrine system

一个对于内分泌系统 长期以来的误解是，

is that there are exclusively male and female hormones.

男性荷尔蒙和女性荷尔蒙 是完全不一样的。

In fact, men and women have estrogen and testosterone,

但事实上，男性和女性体内 都会分泌睾丸素和雌性激素，

just in different amounts.

只是量有所不同。

Both hormones play a role in pregnancy, as well,

这两种荷尔蒙在怀孕的过程中 扮演着不同的角色，

alongside more than 10 other hormones that ensure the growth of the fetus,

此外还有其他 10 种荷尔蒙 一起确保胚胎的发育，

enable birth,

使人能够生育，

and help the mother feed her child.

以及帮助妈妈哺育孩子。

Such periods of hormonal change are also associated with fluctuations in mood.

荷尔蒙周期性的变化 与心情的波动也有联系。

That’s because hormones can influence

这是因为荷尔蒙可以影响

the production of certain chemicals in the brain, like serotonin.

化学物质在脑部的生产， 像是血清素。

When chemical levels shift, they may cause changes in mood, as well.

当化学物质的浓度改变时， 也有可能造成心情的变化。

But that’s not to say that hormones have unlimited power over us.

但是不是说荷尔蒙拥有 支配我们的无限力量。

They’re frequently viewed as the main drivers of our behavior,

它们常常被视为我们 行为的主要控制者，

making us slaves to their effects, especially during puberty.

使我们在它们面前没有任何自由， 尤其是在青春期的时候。

But research shows that our behavior is collectively shaped

但是研究表明，我们的行为是

by a variety of influences,

受很多因素协同控制的，

including the brain and its neurotransmitters,

包括大脑和它的神经递质，

our hormones,

我们的荷尔蒙，

and various social factors.

以及很多的社会因素。

The primary function of the endocrine system

内分泌系统的主要功能

is to regulate our bodily processes, not control us.

是调节我们的身体， 而不是控制我们。

Sometimes disease,

有时候，疾病、

stress,

压力、

and even diet can disrupt that regulatory function, however,

甚至饮食都可以破坏这个调节功能，

altering the quantity of hormones that glands secrete

改变腺体分泌荷尔蒙的量

or changing the way that cells respond.

或者是改变细胞 对荷尔蒙的反应方式。

Diabetes is one of the most common hormonal disorders,

糖尿病是最常见的荷尔蒙紊乱之一，

occurring when the pancreas secretes too little insulin,

这是由胰腺分泌 的胰岛素过少引起的，

a hormone that manages blood sugar levels.

胰岛素就是一种控制血糖的荷尔蒙。

And hypo- and hyperthyroidism

甲状腺机能减退和甲状腺机能亢进

occur when the thyroid gland makes too little or too much thyroid hormone.

是由甲状腺分泌过少或者 过多的甲状腺荷尔蒙引起的。

When there’s too little thyroid hormone, that results in a slowed heart rate,

当体内甲状腺荷尔蒙 过少的时候，心率会下降，

fatigue,

人体会疲劳,

and depression,

出现抑郁症状，

and when there’s too much thyroid hormone,

当甲状腺荷尔蒙过多，

weight loss,

会出现体重减少，

sleeplessness,

失眠，

and irritability.

易怒的现象。

But most of the time,

但是大多数时候，

the endocrine system manages to keep our bodies in a state of balance.

内分泌系统都能将 身体保持在一个平衡的状态。

And through its constant regulation,

通过不间断的荷尔蒙调节，

it drives the changes that ultimately help us become who we are.

让我们的身体不断发生改变， 最后把我们塑造成现在的样子。