字幕列表 影片播放
-
Over the course of our lifetimes,
譯者: Thomas Tam 審譯者: Helen Chang
-
our bodies undergo a series of extraordinary metamorphoses:
在我們有生之年,
-
we grow,
身體經歷了一系列非凡的變化:
-
experience puberty,
我們成長、
-
and many of us reproduce.
體驗青春期,
-
Behind the scenes,
很多人會生育。
-
the endocrine system works constantly to orchestrate these changes.
在幕後,
-
Alongside growth and sexual maturity,
內分泌系統不斷努力協調這些變化。
-
this system regulates everything from your sleep
除了成長和性徵成熟,
-
to the rhythm of your beating heart,
這個系統還規範一切事情,
-
exerting its influence over each and every one of your cells.
從睡眠到規律節奏的心跳,
-
The endocrine system relies on interactions
對每一個細胞施加影響。
-
between three features to do its job:
內分泌系統依賴
-
glands,
三個屬性之間的相互作用:
-
hormones,
腺體、
-
and trillions of cell receptors.
激素、
-
Firstly, there are several hormone-producing glands:
和數萬億的細胞受體。
-
three in your brain,
首先,有幾種產生激素的腺體:
-
and seven in the rest of your body.
三個在你的大腦中,
-
Each is surrounded by a network of blood vessels,
七個在你身體的其餘部分。
-
from which they extract ingredients to manufacture dozens of hormones.
每個都被血管網包圍,
-
Those hormones are then pumped out in tiny amounts,
它們從血管中提取成分 來製造出幾十種激素。
-
usually into the bloodstream.
然後那些激素被抽出很少量,
-
From there, each hormone needs to locate a set of target cells
通常是進入血液。
-
in order to bring about a specific change.
每種激素需要定位於一組目標細胞,
-
To find its targets, it's helped along by receptors,
為之帶來特定的具體變化。
-
which are special proteins inside or on the cell's surface.
受到受體的幫助,它們找到了目標,
-
Those receptors recognise specific hormones as they waft by,
受體是細胞表面 或內部的特殊蛋白質。
-
and bind to them.
受體會識別飄過的特定激素,
-
When this happens,
並鎖定它們。
-
that hormone-receptor combination triggers a range of effects
當這個情況發生時,
-
that either increase or decrease specific processes inside the cell
激素受體的組合 會引發一系列的變化,
-
to change the way that cell behaves.
增加或減少細胞內的特定進程,
-
By exposing millions of cells at a time
改變細胞的行為。
-
to hormones in carefully-regulated quantities,
每一次有數百萬個細胞,
-
the endocrine system drives large-scale changes across the body.
透過精心調節數量的激素,
-
Take, for instance, the thyroid and the two hormones it produces,
送到內分泌系統 驅動大規模的身體變化。
-
triiodothyronine and thyroxine.
以甲狀腺及其產生的兩種激素為例,
-
These hormones travel to most of the body's cells,
三碘甲狀腺原氨酸和甲狀腺素。
-
where they influence how quickly those cells use energy
它們傳播到身體的大部分細胞,
-
and how rapidly they work.
影響這些細胞使用能量的速度
-
In turn, that regulates everything from breathing rate
以及它們的工作速度。
-
to heartbeat,
因此,這整個過程能調節呼吸速率、
-
body temperature,
心跳、
-
and digestion.
體溫
-
Hormones also have some of their most visible—and familiar—effects
和消化。
-
during puberty.
在青春期,激素也有些 最明顯和熟悉的效果。
-
In men, puberty begins when the testes start secreting testosterone.
當男性睾丸開始分泌睾酮時, 青春期就開始了。
-
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。