Help with Hormone Types - Anatomy

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Question

How do steroid hormones affect their target organs?

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Answer

Steroid hormones are nonpolar hormones that require carrier proteins in order to travel through the bloodstream. Once they reach their target cell, they are able to enter the cell's nucleus and affect the transcription of certain genes. Since steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol they are small and nonpolar, allowing them to freely diffuse across the membrane without protein mediation.

In contrast, peptide hormones and tyrosine derivatives are unable to freely cross the membrane due to size. Since these hormones cannot directly enter the cell, they generally initiate second messenger signal cascades. Peptide hormones are able to freely circulate, while tyrosine derivatives bind to carrier proteins in the blood.

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