Endocrine signals are transmitted more slowly than paracrine signals because the ligands are transported through the bloodstream and travel greater distances. Hormones are released by specialized endocrine cells and travel throughout the circulatory system to attach to target cells at distant body regions during endocrine signaling. In contrast, paracrine signaling acts locally between neighboring cells, mainly through diffusion. Thus, hormones have to travel a longer distance which makes it a slower process than paracrine signaling.