What are substances produced by the body to regulate functions and processes?

Hormones are substances produced by the body that play a critical role in regulating various functions and processes, including growth, metabolism, immune function, and mood. They are secreted by glands in the endocrine system and act as chemical messengers, traveling through the bloodstream to target organs and tissues to elicit specific responses. This regulatory function is essential for maintaining homeostasis within the body.

Genomes refer to the complete set of DNA within an organism, encompassing all of its genes and hereditary information, rather than functions or processes. Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections and have no role in the body's natural regulation of its processes. Antitoxins are substances that neutralize toxins, particularly those produced by bacteria, but do not serve the broader regulatory functions that hormones do.