The human body is incredibly complex. It consists of about 30 trillion cells organized into around different cell types. It contains miles of nerves and blood vessels and about 20 square feet of skin. There are about 100 trillion connections between the different cells in the human brain. Yet despite all this complexity, we all started life as a single cell. To get from one fertilized egg to an adult organism, cells have to differentiate—that is, they have to change their contents, shapes, behaviors, etc. All of this differentiation is coordinated by the release and reception of signaling molecules, like hormones and neurotransmitters.
The following images are inspired by (but do not accurately depict) some of the hormones and neurotransmitters that are known to play a role in human development and behavior.
Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
Growth Differentiation Factor
Haematopoietin
Hemorphin
Hepassocin
Histamine
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydroxycholesterol
Hydroxycorticosterone
Hydroxyestradiol
Hydroxyestrone
Hydroxypregnenolone
Hydroxyprogesterone
Hypocretin
Incretin
Inhibin
Insulin
Intelectin
Interferon
Interleukin
Intermedin
Iodothyronamine
Irisin
Isoallopregnanolone
Isoandrosterone
Isopregnanolone
Isotestosterone
Kallidin
Ketohydroxyestrin
Ketoprogesterone
Kinin
Kisspeptin
Lactotropin
Leptin
Leukemia Inhibitory Factor
Leukotriene
Leumorphin
Levodopa
Levothyroxine
Lipasin
Lipocortin
Lipotropin
Lipoxin
Lutropin
Lymphokine
Lysophosphatidylinositol
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
Maresin
Mead Acid
Melanin-Concentrating Hormone
Melanocortin
Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone
Melanotropin
Melatonin
Metastasis Suppressor
Metastin
Methylphenethylamine
Methyltryptamine
Metorphamide
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein
Morphine
Motilin
Myokine
Myostatin
Nandrolone
Natriuretic Peptide
Neoendorphin
Nerve Growth Factor
Neublastin
Neuregulin
Neurexophilin
Neurokinin
Neuromedin
Neuropeptide
Neurophysin
Neuroprotectin
Neurotactin
Neurotensin
Neurotrophin
Neurturin
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Nitric Oxide
Nociceptin
These illustrations were drawn using Stable Diffusion 2.1.
