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Physiology essay 12
Hormonal control
Hormones play a key role in regulating almost all body functions including;
1. Regulating the chemical composition and volume of the internal
environment (the extracellular fluid)
2. Regulating metabolism and energy balance
3. Regulating contraction of smooth and cardiac muscles and also gland
secretion
4. Help maintain homeostasis despite sudden disruption in the
environment i.e. infection, trauma, stress etc.
5. Regulating certain activities of the immune system
6. Play a role in smooth, sequential integration of growth and development
7. Contribute to reproduction and behaviour
Hormone classification

Hormones

Lipid Peptides and proteins

Amino acid (AA) derivatives
derivatives  These hormones
consist of chains of
 Simplest hormones AA between 3-200
derived from AA chains long
 E.g. Adrenaline,  E.g. insulin, glucagon
noradrenaline, thyroid oxytocin, ADH, all Ant
Eicosanoids
hormones pituitary hormones,
 Derived from fatty all hypothalamic
acids hormones.
 Act as local hormones
Steroid hormones in most tissues

 Derived from
cholesterol
 E.g. aldosterone,
cortisol, androgens,
estrogens etc. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes
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Mechanism of action
 Hormone released in to the blood stream
 It will only effect a certain cell, called the target cell
 Target cell has a receptor which is complimentary to the hormone
 Once attached, the hormone will cause the cell to respond and maintain a
characteristic of the internal environment in homeostasis
 After the hormone has performed its function it is broken down by the target cell
and eliminated from the body by the liver or kidneys.
Mechanism also depends on whether the hormone in lipid soluble or water soluble
 Lipid soluble- hormone binds to receptor within the cell, the activated receptor will
alter cell function by tuning a gene on/off. So because its lipid soluble it will go
straight through the cell membrane.

 Water soluble- hormone binds to receptor which is located on the cell membrane.
This receptor then produced a secondary messenger (cyclic-AMP) which in turn
activates several enzymes that produce the physiological response
Hormone secretion
Negative feedback
 Hormone released by endocrine gland
 Products/ conditions produced by the hormone supress the production of the
hormone to avoid over secretion
 Sometimes suppression of hormone production is dependent on the activity of the
target tissue, so when the activity of the target tissue rises to an appropriate level
the gland is stimulated enough to stop hormone production.
Most hormones use this method
Positive feedback
 Biological action of the hormone causes additional secretion of the hormones
 E.g. luteinizing hormone (LH). When an appropriate concentration is reached (LH)
then LH production stops via negative feedback.
Anterior Pituitary
gland

Estrogen released by LH secreted

ovaries before ovulation
Stimulates ovaries
or by LH stimulation
to produce
Stimulates LH secretion estrogen
from anterior pituitary
Ovaries
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Paracrine hormones- secretion that acts on cells adjacent to the site of its secretion and
have a short life span
Telecrine hormones- action of hormone is distant from its site of secretion