Hormones: Chemical Regulators

contents:

terms

the endocrine system

endocrine disruptors

types of hormones

protein hormones

steroid hormones

bibliography

figure 1

terms:

hormones: chemical messengers that help with growth and development, fertility, metabolism, communication within the body, and many other important tasks

gland: an organ in the body that produces, stores, and sends hormones throughout the body

endocrine system: a series of glands in the body

prohormones: hormone in an inactive form

the endocrine system:

  1. the endocrine system is directed by the brain
  2. the brain sends a signal to the gland to produce a hormone
  3. the gland makes and then sends the hormone to the correct body part through the blood stream
  4. the hormone travels through the blood stream to a target cell
  5. the target cell has a receptor for the hormone
  6. the hormone attaches to receptor
  7. the target cell receives and responds to the hormones signal


endocrine disruptors:

  • chemicals that inhibit or disrupt the hormones signal at any time while it travels through the body
  • there are many types of disruptors such as:
        • chemicals that mimic hormones to send a false signal to cell
        • chemicals that block the hormone from entering the cell
        • chemicals that make the target cell react in an incorrect way to the hormones signal
  • these disruptors can cause:
        • an embryo to not properly grow or develop
        • an altering in how an adult functions

figure 2

types of hormones:

  • there are 50 different known hormones in the human body
  • two main types of hormones:
        • protein hormones
        • steroid hormones

protein hormones:

  • may also be known as peptide hormones
  • protein hormones are made from amino acid chains
        • range from 3-200+ amino acids
  • the hormones dissolve well in fluids
        • the hormones are able to diffuse easily into the blood or cytoplasm
  • delivers the message using receptors on the membrane of the cell
        • protein hormones enter the receptor molecule on the membrane of the cell
              • this makes the receptor molecule to change shape and activates a signal which goes into the cell
        • this signal starts the correct response for the target cell
        • this signal may act in the cytosol or the nucleus
  • these hormones are responsible for:
        • growth
        • division of cell


figure 3

example: insulin

  • activates enzymes that exit the cell
  • helps with:
        • metabolism
        • breakdown of sugars

steroid hormones:

  • steroid hormones are made up of cholesterol
  • the hormones themselves do not dissolve well in fluid, but they carry other proteins that do dissolve so they can diffuse easily into the blood
  • when the hormone reaches the target cell, it releases the protein it was carrying and goes through the cell membrane to give the message through a receptor inside the cell
        • the hormone enters the receptor protein either in the cytosol or the nucleus
        • the hormone receptor then binds to the control center of a gene
              • this will then start or stop the genes action
        • changing the genes activation will change the amount of proteins made in the cell
  • steroid hormones are responsible for:
        • developing male and female characteristics
              • muscle mass
              • facial hair
              • etc

figure 3

example: aldosterone

  • aldosterone helps to regulate fluids in the body as well as blood pressure
  • as the fluids in the body increase, so does blood pressure
        • this causes less potassium to be in the body and more aldosterone

hormone mechanisms:

  • hormones usually start in an inactive form called prohormones
  • prohormones are converted into their active form by target cells or enzymes
  • hormones are made in small amounts but once a cell activates a protein, that protein can then activate other proteins, which activates other proteins, and so on

bibliography:

  • websites
        • Dunn, K. (n.d.). How Do Hormones Work? Retrieved October 12, 2017, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/nature/etc/hormones.html
        • Zintel, T. (2016, October 06). To B(PA) Or To Not B(PA): Regulating Endocrine Disruptors. Retrieved October 17, 2017, from http://thatslifesci.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2016-10-06-To-B(PA)-Or-To-Not-B(PA)-Regulating-Endocrine-Disruptors-TZintel/
        • Hendrickson, K. (2017, August 14). The Definition of the Protein Hormone. Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/402227-the-definition-of-the-protein-hormone/
        • Insulin: Pancreatic Peptide Hormone. (2016, May 02). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from http://www.biochemden.com/pancreatic-peptide-hormone-insulin/
        • What is the function of aldosterone hormone? | Endocrine System. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://www.sharecare.com/health/endocrine-system/what-is-function-aldosterone-hormone
  • pictures
        • figure 1
              • Free Image on Pixabay - Brain, Biology, Abstract, Cerebrum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://pixabay.com/en/brain-biology-abstract-cerebrum-951874/
        • figure 2
              • Zintel, T. (2016, October 06). To B(PA) Or To Not B(PA): Regulating Endocrine Disruptors. Retrieved October 17, 2017, from http://thatslifesci.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2016-10-06-To-B(PA)-Or-To-Not-B(PA)-Regulating-Endocrine-Disruptors-TZintel/
        • figure 3
              • File:Steroid and Lipid Hormones.svg. (2017, September 12). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steroid_and_Lipid_Hormones.svg
  • videos
        • (2014, May 14). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-GXGR7AFpQ
  • books
        • DiGiuseppe, M., Fraser, D., LeDrew, B., Vavitsas, A., & White-McMahon, M. (2012). Nelson biology 12: university preparation. Scarborough, ON: Nelson Thomson Learning.