Question

Give examples of steriod and non steriod hormone and tell what that particular hormone does

Answer 1

Answer:

Hormones are the non nutrient chemicals which are produced from the ductless endocrine glands in trace amounts. They get dissolved in the blood stream and thus remain circulated throughout the different body parts. The hormones are known to have certain characteristic features which are as mentioned below;

1. They are non nutrient in nature

2. They are mostly proteinaceous in nature

3. The hormones gets dissolved in the blood stream and thus gets transported throughout the body

4. They are known to bring about the physiological changes in our body and thus they help in the effective functioning of the body

Depending on their solubility, hormones are divided into two classes;

a) Fat soluble hormones and

b) Water soluble hormones

Fat soluble hormones: These are also called as the steroidal hormone as they are cholesterol derivatives and remain soluble in the fats/lipids. Due to this, they directly enter inside the nucleus of the cell, modify the genome of the host cell and thus brings upon the physiological responses.

For example, Testosterone, Estrogen, progesterone is the examples of the steroidal hormones.

Functions:

Testosterone: It is the principal androgen (male reproductive hormone) found in the males. The hormone is responsible for bringing up the secondary sexual changes within the human males like growth of beard, moustache, and the pubic hairs. The hormone is also responsible for the spermatogenesis (formation of male gametes; sperms)

Estrogen: these are the female sexual hormones which brings about the reproductive changes within the body of the human females post their puberty. These changes includes development of breasts, growth of pubic hairs

Progesterone: This is a female hormone and it is responsible for maintaining pregnancy and also regulation of the menstrual cycles after the onset of puberty stage

Water soluble hormones: They are also called as non steroidal hormones as they are soluble in water and also they are not derived from the cholesterol. They do not enter into the nucleus of the cell and brings about their physiological responses within the cytoplasm of the cell.

For example, GH (growth hormone)

Function: The growth hormone is released from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and it is responsible for the increase in the height of an individual by bringing about the growth of the person.

Hypersecretion of growth hormone causes: gigantism (excessive tallness)

Hyposecretion of the growth hormone causes: dwarfism (excessive shortness).

Thus, there are a number of steroidal and non steroidal hormones which mediates their effect over our body and thus assisting in regulating the physiological processes.