Box 1.1
Classification by structure of the major human hormones*
| Hormones | Peptide/protein | Steroid | Amino acid or fatty acid derived |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypothalamic hormones | Thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) | ||
| Corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) | |||
| Arginine vasopressin (AVP) | |||
| Gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) | |||
| Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) | |||
| Somatostatin | |||
| Prolactin relasing factor (PRF) | |||
| Dopamine | |||
| Anterior pituitary hormones | Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | ||
| Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) | |||
| Luteinizing hormone (LH) | |||
| Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | |||
| Somatotrophin/growth hormone (GH) | |||
| Prolactin (PRL) | |||
| Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) | |||
| Posterior pituitary hormones | Oxytocin | ||
| Arginine vasopressin | |||
| Thyroid hormones | Thyroxine (T4) | ||
| Triiodothyronine (T3) | |||
| Pancreatic hormones | Insulin | ||
| Glucagon | |||
| Somatostatin | |||
| Pancreatic polypeptide | |||
| Calcium regulating hormones | Parathyroid hormone (PTH) | 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D | |
| Calcitonin (CT) | |||
| Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrp) | |||
| Adrenal cortical steroids | Cortisol | ||
| Aldosterone | |||
| Dehydroepiandrosterone | |||
| Adrenal medullary hormones | Epinephrine | ||
| Norepinephrine | |||
| Male reproductive hormones | Inhibin | Testosterone | |
| Dihydrotestosterone | |||
| Female reproductive hormones | Inhibin | Estradiol | |
| Oxytocin | Progesterone | ||
| Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) | |||
| Human chorionic somatotrophin | |||
| Plasma volume and sodium regulating hormones | Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) | ||
| Arginine vasopressin | |||
| Renin/angiotensin | Aldosterone | ||
| Cardiovascular hormones | Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) | Nitric oxide | |
| Endothelins | |||
| Erythropoietin | |||
| Bradykinin | |||
| Pineal hormones | Melatonin | ||
| Serotonin | |||
| Growth factors or cytokines | Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) | ||
| Epidermal growth factor (EGF) | |||
| Interleukins (ILs) | |||
| Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α | |||
| Eicosanoids | Prostaglandins | ||
| Thromboxanes | |||
| Prostacyclin | |||
| Leucotrienes | |||
| Lipoxins |
*
Note that this list is not intended to be comprehensive