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Questions and Answers
What is the main difference between peptide hormones and steroid hormones?
What happens when a hormone attaches to its specific receptor?
What is the primary function of peptide hormones?
What determines the specificity of a hormone to its target organ?
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What is the characteristic of steroid hormones that allows them to change what the cell is making?
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What is the advantage of steroid hormones over peptide hormones?
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What is a characteristic of exocrine glands?
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What is the purpose of the lock-and-key mechanism in hormone action?
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What is the primary function of the endocrine system?
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What is the name of the chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands?
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Where do hormones dissolve into the bloodstream?
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What is the term for the process by which hormones travel to their target cells?
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What is an essential characteristic of a hormone?
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What is the role of the endocrine organ in hormone production?
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How does a hormone interact with its target cell?
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What is the function of cell projections in hormone interaction?
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Study Notes
Anatomy of the Endocrine System
- The endocrine system is composed of glands that regulate various body functions, including reaction to the environment, blood substance levels, metabolism, growth, immune responses, and sexual development and function.
Hormones
- Hormones are organic chemicals produced by one set of cells that have an effect on a different set of cells.
- Hormones have a specific organ of origin, target organ, and specific action.
- Hormones dissolve into blood plasma and travel to specific body regions through the bloodstream to reach their target cells.
- It takes time for a hormone to be produced, released into the bloodstream, circulate, and eventually reach its target cell.
Lock and Key Mechanism
- Hormones interact with their intended target cells through a lock and key mechanism, where each hormone fits into a very specific receptor on the cell surface.
- If the hormone does not fit the receptor, it cannot attach to the cell.
Classes of Hormones
- There are two major classes of hormones: peptide hormones and steroid hormones.
- Peptide hormones are derived from proteins (peptides and catecholamines) and attach to the outside of the cell, activating existing enzymes for quick action.
- Steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol, pass through the plasma membrane, and alter protein synthesis for slower but longer-lasting action.
Types of Glands
- There are two main types of glands in the body: endocrine glands and exocrine glands.
- Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream.
- Exocrine glands, found in the digestive system, have ducts and secrete into an epithelial surface.
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Description
Learn about the endocrine system's anatomy, including the location of endocrine organs in the body and an introduction to hormones. Understand how the endocrine system regulates body functions.