The physical substance of any organism is its body. The body comprises millions of living cells and extracellular material. The matter inside has further organization and is categorized into different systems. Every cell inside the living body has a specific function and role to perform. Other regulators assist every function.
Hormones bind to particular receptor proteins and affect the distant target cell which usually produces a change In the function of the target cell. During hormone binding, a signal transduction pathway is activated that further activates gene transcription. The pathway of hormones is rapid and non-genomic. Invertebrates the hormone-secreting specialized organs are endocrine glands. The hormones are secreted as a response to a particular biochemical signal. It follows a process of negative feedback regulation.
Some hormones are active and are directly released in the bloodstream through fenestrated capillaries while some hormones like prohormones are activated in the particular target cell after following a series of regulated activation steps. Some hormones are also secreted in ducts while some diffuse and travel through the interstitial spaces. Plants on the other hand do not have any specialized organ for producing hormones.
What is Pregnancy?
Pregnancy refers to the period during which an offspring develops inside the womb of a mother. The process of pregnancy can be through sexual intercourse or other procedures like assisted reproductive technology. A mother can produce single offspring or multiple offspring at a time which is known as multiple pregnancies.
Pregnancy can lead to living birth, stillbirth, induced abortion, or a miscarriage. The period of pregnancy usually lasts around 40 weeks or over 9 months. The various common symptoms experienced during the early stages of pregnancy are missed menstrual periods, nausea, constant hunger, vomiting, tender breasts, frequent urination, constant sickness, and several other symptoms.
The pregnancy period can be divided into three trimesters which include 3 months each. The first trimester is the conception during which fertilization occurs. The embryo is highly vulnerable during the first trimester and the risk of miscarriage is the highest. During the second trimester, the fetus grows and its movement can be felt. During the third trimester, most of the vital organs are formed.
During ideal childbirth, the mother experience intense labor pain. The ideal period is during 39 to 41 weeks and babies born before that period are considered as “early term” while those born after that period are considered “late-term”. Prenatal medical care is essential to minimize every risk of complication during pregnancy. Regular physical examinations and blood tests are essential during the gestation period.
Main Differences Between Hormones and Pregnancy
- Hormones are chemical molecules that act as signaling messengers while pregnancy is the period of growth of an offspring inside the womb of a mother.
- Hormones can affect sleep cycles, heart rate, metabolism, growth, appetite, reproduction while pregnancy can affect menstrual periods, mood, energy, gums, digestion process.
- Hormones are found in all multicellular organisms while pregnancy can occur only in female organisms with uterus and ovaries.
- Hormones are produced and secreted in the bloodstream, ducts, or diffuse through interstitial space while delivery in pregnancy can be through natural childbirth or Cesarean surgery (C-section).
- Hormones can be tested through blood tests while pregnancy can be tested through a urine test or blood test.
Conclusion
The human body has various organs that coordinate together and can perform common or different functions inside the body. Hormones are produced as a result of response to a particular biochemical signal while pregnancy produces and brings offspring or young ones into the world.
The test of hormones and pregnancy can be done through blood tests. The test shows the levels of hormones and can also determine any genetic condition or birth defect in pregnancy. Prenatal medical care is essential to minimize every risk of complication during pregnancy.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3640235/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09513590.2018.1564742