How do your hormones work? - Emma Bryce

譯者: Thomas Tam 審譯者: Helen Chang

Over the course of our lifetimes,

在我們有生之年，

our bodies undergo a series of extraordinary metamorphoses:

身體經歷了一系列非凡的變化：

we grow,

我們成長、

experience puberty,

體驗青春期，

and many of us reproduce.

很多人會生育。

Behind the scenes,

在幕後，

the endocrine system works constantly to orchestrate these changes.

內分泌系統不斷努力協調這些變化。

Alongside growth and sexual maturity,

除了成長和性徵成熟，

this system regulates everything from your sleep

這個系統還規範一切事情，

從睡眠到規律節奏的心跳，

to the rhythm of your beating heart,

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

對每一個細胞施加影響。

The endocrine system relies on interactions

內分泌系統依賴

三個屬性之間的相互作用：

between three features to do its job:

glands,

腺體、

hormones,

激素、

and trillions of cell receptors.

和數萬億的細胞受體。

Firstly, there are several hormone-producing glands:

首先，有幾種產生激素的腺體：

three in your brain,

三個在你的大腦中，

and seven in the rest of your body.

七個在你身體的其餘部分。

Each is surrounded by a network of blood vessels,

每個都被血管網包圍，

from which they extract ingredients to manufacture dozens of hormones.

它們從血管中提取成分 來製造出幾十種激素。

Those hormones are then pumped out in tiny amounts,

然後那些激素被抽出很少量，

usually into the bloodstream.

通常是進入血液。

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

每種激素需要定位於一組目標細胞，

in order to bring about a specific change.

為之帶來特定的具體變化。

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

受到受體的幫助，它們找到了目標，

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

受體是細胞表面 或內部的特殊蛋白質。

Those receptors recognise specific hormones as they waft by,

受體會識別飄過的特定激素，

and bind to them.

並鎖定它們。

When this happens,

當這個情況發生時，

that hormone-receptor combination triggers a range of effects

激素受體的組合 會引發一系列的變化，

that either increase or decrease specific processes inside the cell

增加或減少細胞內的特定進程，

to change the way that cell behaves.

改變細胞的行為。

By exposing millions of cells at a time

每一次有數百萬個細胞，

to hormones in carefully-regulated quantities,

透過精心調節數量的激素，

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

送到內分泌系統 驅動大規模的身體變化。

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

以甲狀腺及其產生的兩種激素為例，

triiodothyronine and thyroxine.

三碘甲狀腺原氨酸和甲狀腺素。

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

它們傳播到身體的大部分細胞，

where they influence how quickly those cells use energy

影響這些細胞使用能量的速度

and how rapidly they work.

以及它們的工作速度。

In turn, that regulates everything from breathing rate

因此，這整個過程能調節呼吸速率、

to heartbeat,

心跳、

body temperature,

體溫

and digestion.

和消化。

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

在青春期，激素也有些 最明顯和熟悉的效果。

during puberty.

當男性睾丸開始分泌睾酮時， 青春期就開始了。

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

That triggers the gradual development of the sexual organs,

這觸發了性器官的逐漸發展，

makes facial hair sprout,

使面部長毛，

and causes the voice to deepen

使聲音變低

and height to increase.

和身高增長。

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

女性的卵巢分泌的雌激素 標誌著成年期的開始。

It helps the body develop,

它有助於身體發育，

makes the hips widen,

使臀部變寬，

and thickens the womb’s lining,

子宮內壁變厚，

preparing the body for menstruation or pregnancy.

準備月經或懷孕的身體。

An enduring misconception around the endocrine system

對內分泌系統的持久誤解

is that there are exclusively male and female hormones.

以為男性和女性激素 為男女各自獨有。

In fact, men and women have estrogen and testosterone,

事實上，男性和女性 同時都有雌激素和睾酮，

just in different amounts.

只是量的多少不同。

Both hormones play a role in pregnancy, as well,

兩種激素都在妊娠中起作用，

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

同時另有超過十種激素 確保胎兒的生長、

enable birth,

分娩，

and help the mother feed her child.

和幫助母親哺乳。

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

這種激素變化的時期， 也與情緒的波動有關。

That’s because hormones can influence

那是因為激素可以影響

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

大腦中某些化學物質 如血清素的產生。

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

當化學物質的水平變化時， 也可能引起情緒的變化。

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

但這並不是說 激素對我們有無限的影響力。

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

它們經常被視為是 我們行為的主要驅動因素，

making us slaves to their effects, especially during puberty.

讓我們成為其影響的奴隸， 特別是在青春期。

But research shows that our behavior is collectively shaped

但研究表明， 我們的行為是集體塑造的，

by a variety of influences,

受著各種的影響，

including the brain and its neurotransmitters,

包括大腦及其神經遞質、

our hormones,

我們的激素

and various social factors.

和各種社會因素。

The primary function of the endocrine system

內分泌系統的主要功能

is to regulate our bodily processes, not control us.

是為了調節我們身體的過程， 而不是控制我們。

Sometimes disease,

有時疾病、

stress,

壓力，

and even diet can disrupt that regulatory function, however,

甚至飲食，也會破壞這種調節功能，

altering the quantity of hormones that glands secrete

改變腺體分泌激素的量

or changing the way that cells respond.

或改變細胞反應的方式。

Diabetes is one of the most common hormonal disorders,

糖尿病是最常見的激素紊亂症之一，

occurring when the pancreas secretes too little insulin,

發生在胰臟分泌的胰島素過少時；

a hormone that manages blood sugar levels.

胰島素是一種管理血糖水平的激素。

And hypo- and hyperthyroidism

甲狀腺機能的減退或亢進

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

是當甲狀腺產生過少或過多的 甲狀腺激素時產生。

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

甲狀腺激素過少會導致心率減慢、

fatigue,

疲勞

and depression,

和抑鬱；

and when there’s too much thyroid hormone,

甲狀腺激素過多時會導致

weight loss,

體重下降、

sleeplessness,

失眠

and irritability.

和煩躁。

But most of the time,

但大多數時候，

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

內分泌系統設法 使我們的身體處於平衡狀態。

And through its constant regulation,

通過不斷的調節，

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

最終使我們變成現在的自己。