Hormones

● Are chemical substances that act like messenger molecules in the body.

● They travel to other parts of the body where they help control how cells and organs do their work.

● Example: Insulin hormone secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas.

● A hormone is any member of a class of signaling molecules in multicellular organism.

Characteristics of Hormones

1. Hormones are secreted by the endocrine glands in small amounts.

2. The hormones are secreted directly into your blood and it is
transported throughout the body.
3. They are chemical messengers that regulates the behavior of the target
cells.

Functions of Hormones

1. Food metabolism
2. Growth and development
3. Controlling thirst and hunger
4. Maintaining body temperature
5. Regulating mood and cognitive functions
6. Initiating and maintaining sexual development and reproduction.

Three Kinds of Chemical Signaling

1. Autocrine
2. Paracrine
3. Endocrine

Autocrine

● A form of cell signaling in which a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger

that binds to autocrine receptors on that same cell, leading to changes in the cell.

Paracrine

● Chemical signals that diffuse into the area and interact with receptors on nearby cells.

Endocrine

● The chemicals are secreted into the blood

and carried by blood and tissue fluids
to the cells they act upon.

Endocrine Hormones

● They are wide array molecules that transverse the blood stream to act distant tissues, leading to alterations in metabolic
functions within the body.
● They can broadly divide into peptides, steroids and tyrosine derivatives that may work on either cell surface or
intracellular receptors.

Role of Hormones

● They are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying
messages through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles and other tissues.
● These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it.
Proteins, Peptides, and Modified Amino Acids

● These hydrophilic hormone molecules bind to receptors on the surface of “target” cells; that is, cells able to respond to
the presence of the hormone. These receptors are transmembrane proteins. Binding of the hormone to its receptor
initiates a sequence of intracellular signals that may alter the behavior of the cells or stimulate (or repress) gene
expression in the nucleus by turning on (or off) the promoters and enhancers of the genes.

Peptide and Steroid Hormones

● Peptide hormones also known as polypeptide hormones.

● They are made of chains of amino acids.

● Example is ADH-Antidiuretic hormone, which decreases blood pressure.

● Steroid hormones are derived from lipids.

● Reproductive hormones like testosterone and estrogen.

● Lipid derived hormones are structurally similar to cholesterol and include steroid hormones such as estradiol and
testosterone.

Types of Hormones

1. Estrogen and Progesterone

2. Testosterone
3. Insulin – fat storage hormone released by pancreas.
4. Cortisol
5. Growth hormone
6. Adrenaline
7. Thyroid hormone
8. Melatonin

Hormone Regulation

1.
2. When one hormone stimulates the production of a
second, the second suppresses the production of the
first. Example: The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
stimulates the release of estrogen from the ovarian
follicle. A high level of estrogen in turn, suppresses the
further production of FSH.
3. Antagonistic pairs of hormones. Example: Insulin
causes the level of blood sugar (glucose) to drop when
it has risen. Glucagon causes it to rise when it has
fallen.
4. Hormone secretion is increased (or decreased) by the
same substance whose level is decreased (or increased)
by the hormone. Example: A rising level of Ca2- in the
blood suppresses the production of the parathyroid
hormone (PTH). A low level of Ca2+ stimulates it.

Additional Hormones

● The structure of polypeptide hormones is much larger than

those
derived from cholesterol or amino acids.
A. Oxytocin
B. Growth hormone
C. FSH – Follice Stimulating Hormone
● Stress hormone – Cortisol and Adrenaline – anger triggers
the body
 “fight or flight”. Other emotions like fear, excitement and anxiety.
● Thyroxine – hormone responsible for energy.

● Dopamine – known as “happy hormone”.