Which system regulates body processes through hormones?

• A. Nervous system
• B. Endocrine system
• C. Digestive system
• D. Urinary system

Answer: (B)

Hormones regulate body processes through the endocrine system. Glands such as the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, and gonads release chemical messengers into the bloodstream, allowing signals to reach distant target organs and modulate activities like metabolism, growth, development, and reproduction. This signaling is slower and more widespread than the nervous system’s rapid, electrical communication, which uses neurotransmitters to affect nearby tissues quickly. The digestive system and urinary system have primary roles in processing nutrients and eliminating wastes, not in coordinating body processes via hormones, though hormones can influence their functions. Examples like insulin controlling blood sugar, thyroid hormones setting metabolic rate, and cortisol managing stress illustrate how the endocrine system regulates key body processes.