Page 119 - The Miracle of Hormones

or a certain time after they are born, male and fe-
male children resemble one another. But after
F years, differences begin to emerge in the bodies
of each. A beard appears in males, their voices deepen,
their shoulders widen, and they come to have the typical
features of the male body. Girls begin to take on the typ-
ical female form. Two bodies that resembled each other
closely, except for the sex organs, take on quite a different
appearance after the secretion of the sex hormones in
adolescence.
What brings about the change in male and female
bodies are the sex hormones that God has created in a
highly organized manner.
The main sex hormone in the male is testosterone;
in the female, they are estrogen and progesterone.
When we look at the mechanisms by which these hor-
mones are secreted, we meet a few other wonders of
creation.
Sex hormones are secreted in the male testes and
in the female ovaries. But the system that ensures this
secretion is located very distantly from these organs,
in the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus area.
Many years from the time of birth pass before
the sex hormones go into action. But when the right
time comes, when the child has reached the age of
adolescence, the hypothalamus sends a command
(the GnRH hormone) to the pituitary gland. The
fact that the hypothalamus does not make a mis-
take in timing (unless damaged) is remarkable.
How can a small piece of flesh take account of
days, months and years without a calendar (or