UNSW Cell Biology

Medicine: Beginnings, Growth and Development- Hormones

Introduction

Hormones are signaling substances synthesized by endocrine cells, which are secreted into the blood for distribution, to act on other cells. Endocrine cells can be grouped together to form endocrine organs, or distributed in other tissues/organs. The chemical structure of hormones is quite diverse, their common characteristic is release into the bloodstream to act on many different cell targets.

Hormones in general act on other cells by altering cellular metabolism, organisation or gene expression, or by a combinatiion of these mechanisms. A single hormone may also elicit a different responce on different cell types.

The structure of a hormone also determines how it will interact with the target cell. Lipid soluble hormones (Steroids, Thyroxine) pass readily through membranes and bind intracellular receptors. Water soluble hormones (Peptides and Proteins) bind cell surface receptors and may activate an intracellular signaling cascade.

Student Guide

Brief Study (1-15 minutes)

Start by looking at the key online cell biology textbooks.

Start by looking at the online textbooks. These links will give you an introduction to hormones, their role and receptors.

Detailed Study (15-30 minutes)

Next- more detailed online resources introduces hormone synthesis, secretion and storage. More detailed infromation concerning hormone receptors and their signaling pathways.

In Depth (+30 minutes)

Then- look at the signaling pathways that mediate programmed cell death.

Includes links to review articles and animations.

Links

Search NLM Online Textbooks- "hormone"

Molecular Biology of the Cell

Molecular Cell Biology

The Cell- A molecular Approach

Related Topics

endocrine organs, hormones, signaling, receptors, ligands, cAMP, development, steroids, protein growth factors, vascular beds, secretion, storage