Dr. Md.

Mashiur Rahman
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of Biochemistry
Hormones EBAUB

Hormones are organic substances produced by one type of cells and transported through
the blood to act on another type of cells. They are mainly synthesized by ductless gland in
response to external or internal stimuli. Hormones are also regarded as chemical messenger
involve in the transmission of information from one tissue to another and from cell to cell.
1st messenger: The chemicals which directly act or combine with receptors are called first
messenger. e.g. Hormone, drug and neurotransmitter etc.
2nd messenger: The chemicals which are formed after the action of first messenger on
receptors called 2nd messenger. e.g. Cyclic AMP (cAMP), cGMP, Ca++ etc.

Hormone receptor: Hormone receptors are large protein molecules that are present in the
cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus of the cell in which hormone bind to perform their
Biochemistry,, EBAUB

action.

Classification:
Classification Mammals have several classes of hormones, distinguishable by their
Dept. of Biochemistry

chemical structures and their modes of action.

A. Based on the chemical nature: They are three types-

1). Protein or peptide hormones:
hormones Anterior and posterior pituitary hormones. e.g.
insulin, glucagon, oxytocin, antidiuretic hormone.
2). Steroid hormones: Hormones of adrenal cortex, testes and ovaries.
e.g. glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, sex hormones.
3). Amino acid derivatives: Hormones of thyroid gland and adrenal medulla.
e.g. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3).
B. Based on the mechanism of action/receptor location: They are two types-
1. Group I: Hormones with intracellular receptors: These hormones bind to
intracellular receptors and form hormone-receptor complexes through which their
biological functions are mediated. e.g. Steroid, vitamin D, retinoid, and thyroid
hormones enter the cell and act through nuclear receptors.
2. Group II: Hormones with cell surface receptors: Hormones bind with cell surface
receptor where cAMP, cGMP, calcium or phosphatidyl inositol (PIP2) act as a second
messenger. e.g. Peptide, amine, and eicosanoid hormones act from outside the target
cell via cell surface receptors.
C. Based on the site of action: They are three types-
1. Endocrine hormones: Endocrine hormones are released into the blood and carried
to target cells throughout the body. e.g. Insulin.
2. Paracrine hormones: Paracrine hormones are released into the extracellular space
and diffuse to neighboring target cells. e.g. Eicosanoid hormones.
3. Autocrine hormones: Autocrine hormones are released by and affect the same cell,
binding to receptors on the cell surface. e.g. Secretin.
Major Endocrine glands
 Endocrine glands and their hormones:

Endocrine gland Hormones

i. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), ii. Growth hormone-releasing
Hypothalamus hormone (GHRH), iii. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH),
iv. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
i. Growth hormone (GH), ii. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH),
iii. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), iv. Melanocyte stimulating
Anterior pituitary
hormone (MSH), v. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), vi. Luteinizing
hormone (LH), vii. Prolactin hormone (PRL).
Posterior pituitary i. Antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin); ii. Oxytocin.
Thymus Thymosins
Pineal gland Melatonin
Thyroid i. Thyroxin (T4), ii. Triiodothyronin (T3) and iii. Calcitonin
Parathyroid Parathormone.
Pancreas i. Insuline, ii. Glucagone
Adrenal cortex i. Cortisol, ii. Aldosterone.
Adrenal medula i. Adrenaline, ii. Non adrenaline.
Testes Testosterone
Ovaries i. Estrogen and ii. Progesterone
Placenta i. Human corionic gonadotropin (hCG), ii. Estrogen and iii. Progesterone
Major hormones and their source and target:
Anterior pituitary hormone: Anterior pituitary hormones are tropic in nature,
stimulating the release of hormone from target organs. Hypothalamic releasing or
inhibitory factors control the secretion of all these hormones.
Growth hormone (GH): It is also called somatotropin synthesized by somatotropic cells
of anterior pituitary. Hypoglycemia stimulates and hyperglycemia inhibits the
secretion of GH.
Function:
i. Growth hormone (GH) promotes growth of the body (bone and organ).
ii. GH increases the uptake of amino acid by cells; enhance the protein synthesis and
produces positive nitrogen balance.
iii. It breakdown the lipid tissues and thus provide energy.
iv. Increase secretion of GH leads to gigantism in children and acromegaly in children.
v. Deficiency of GH secretion in early childhood causes dwarfism.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH): Activated ACTH is a polyeptide hormone that
binds with receptor on adrenal gland and activates adenylate cyclase to produce
cAMP. i). cAMP increases lipolysis in adipose tissue and stimulate insulin secretion
from pancrease. ii). ACTH also increases protein synthesis.
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH): TSH is a glycoprotein hormone. TSH secretion is
increased in hypothyroidism and decreased in hyperthyroidism.
i. TSH promote uptake of iodine from the blood by thyroid gland.
ii. It enhances the conversion of iodide (I-) to activated iodide (I+) through a process
known as organification.
iii. It stimulates secretion of thyroid hormones from thyroid gland.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH): FSH and LH are
known as gonadotropin hormones. Release of these hormones is controlled by
gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) from hypothalamus.
i. FSH stimulates growth of ovarian follicles in females and spermatogenesis in males.
ii. Testosterone in males and progesterone in females are increased by LH.
iii. FSH and LH collectively responsible for the development and maintenance of
secondary sex character in male and female.
Melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH): It increases the deposition of melanin by the
melanocytes of the human skin.
Prolactine (PRL):
i. It controls the initiation and maintenance of lactation in mammals.
ii. It stimulates the production of progesterone from corpus luteum.
iii. It also stimulates the enlargement of crop gland and production of crop milk in pigeon.
 Posterior pituitary hormone:
Oxitocin:
Oxitocin Cys-Tyr-Ile-Fln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly
i. It causes uterine contraction during labor (child birth).
ii. It also causes the contraction of myoepithelial cells in the mammary gland of breast
resulting milk ejection.
Vasopressin:
Vasopressin Cys-Tyr-Phe-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Arg-Gly
Its main action on kidney is to reabsorb water from kidney tubules, hence also called
antidiuretic hormone (ADH).
Pancreatic hormone:
Insulin: Insulin is synthesized by β cell of islets of Langerhans of pancreas.
i. Principal role of insulin is to regulate the uptake of glucose into cells.
ii. It also stimulates the glucose to store as glycogen in liver and muscle.
iii. It promotes the fatty synthesis and their storage in adipose tissue.
iv. It causes the protein synthesis and inhibits the protein degradation.
Glucagon: Glucagon is synthesized by α cell of islets of Langerhans of pancreas.
i. Glucagon increases glycogen breakdown and release of glucose from the liver into the
body fluids.
ii. It also directly stimulates gluconeogenesis (synthesis of glucose from non
carbohydrate source) by activating different enzymes.
Thyroid hormones: The thyroid gland secretes two major hormones, thyroxine (T4) and
triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid secretion is controlled primarily by thyroid-stimulating
hormone (TSH) secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. The thyroid gland also secretes
calcitonin, an important hormone for calcium metabolism.
i. Thyroid hormone profoundly increases the metabolic rate in the body.
ii. It stimulates growth in children.
iii. It causes increases the basal metabolic rate.
iv. It also increases the rate of secretion most of the other hormones from other
endocrine glands.
Hormones of gonads:
Testosterone: Testosterone is a major male sex hormone.
i. It is responsible for the growth, development and maintenance of male sex organ
including development of testes and penis.
ii. It causes the growth of hair on body, face and over pubis.
iii. It is also responsible for male pattern behavior.
iv. It helps in spermatogenesis.
v. It also promotes protein and fatty acid synthesis, glycolysis etc.
Estrogen: Estrogens are predominantly ovarian hormone synthesized by follicles and
corpus luteum of ovary.
i. The principal function of estrogen is to proliferation and growth of tissue of female sex
organ and related reproductive system including fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina.
ii. It maintains the menstrual cycles.
iii. It causes the deposition of fat in breast and also their characteristics external appearance.
iv. It lowers the LDL cholesterol but increase the HDL cholesterol in blood. Thus the incidence
of atherosclerosis and coronary heart diseases is low during reproductive age of women.
Progesterone: Progesterone is another female sex hormone.
i. It promotes the secretory changes in the endometrium, thus preparing the uterus for
implantation of fertilized ovum.
ii. It also causes secretory changes in the mucosal lining of fallopian tube that are
necessary for the nutrition of fertilized and dividing ovum.
iii. It causes the development of breast lobules and alveoli as well as breast swelling.

Mode of action: