When you think about hormones, you probably think first about puberty and the rapid changes our bodies go through as we develop from teenagers to young men and women. If you’re a woman, you’re also well aware of the role hormones play in controlling your monthly cycle. But hormones do much more than this. They’re powerful chemical messengers sent out by the thyroid, pituitary, adrenal and other glands to cells Stimulate or inhibit the growth of cells.