Q.What are hormones? Give one example for each of the following:
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Hormones are chemical messengers classified by structure into steroids, polypeptides, and amino-acid derivatives, each with a representative example.
Hormones: Hormones are chemical messenger molecules produced and secreted by the endocrine (ductless) glands of the body directly into the bloodstream. They are transported to a distant target organ or tissue, where they regulate physiological processes such as growth, metabolism, and reproduction, acting even in very small (trace) concentrations.
Hormones are classified structurally into several categories:
a) Steroid hormones: These hormones have a steroid (fused-ring, cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene) structure derived from cholesterol.
Example: Estradiol (a female sex hormone, an estrogen; other examples: testosterone, progesterone). These regulate sexual characteristics and reproductive functions.
b) Polypeptide hormones: These hormones are made up of small chains of amino acids joined by peptide bonds.
Example: Insulin (secreted by the pancreas, it is a polypeptide hormone that regulates blood glucose levels; other examples: glucagon, oxytocin). Deficiency of insulin causes diabetes.
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