Chemical Classification of Hormones
Fundamentals of Endocrinology and Hormones
Chemical Classification of Hormones
Chemical classification groups hormones according to molecular structure and biosynthetic origin. The main introductory categories are peptides and proteins, steroids, and amino acid-derived hormones. Additional lipid-derived signaling molecules require their own mechanistic consideration.
Patterns with exceptions
Peptides generally use membrane receptors and regulated secretion from vesicles. Classical steroid hormones arise from cholesterol and often act through intracellular receptors. These tendencies help organize learning but do not describe every action of every hormone.
Why precursor alone is insufficient
Catecholamines and thyroid hormones both derive from tyrosine, yet differ in solubility, storage, transport, half-life and receptor location. Thyroid hormones are extensively protein-bound and act prominently through nuclear receptors.
Applied use
Classifying a hormone should guide questions about synthesis, delivery and action. It should not replace those questions. During exercise, a rapid catecholamine response and a slower change in thyroid-dependent gene expression can occur through very different molecular mechanisms.
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