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Technical Discussion Immediately after
discovery of a new hormone, a majority of effort is devoted to
delineating its sites of synthesis and target cells, and in
characterizing the myriad of physiologic responses it invokes.
An
equally important area of study is to determine precisely how the
hormone acts to change the physiologic state of its target cells -
its mechanism of action.
Understanding mechanism of action is itself a broad
task, encompassing structure and function of the receptor, how the
bound receptor transduces a signal inside the cell and the end
effectors of that signal. This information is not only of great
interest to basic science, but critical to understanding and
treating diseases of the endocrine system, and in using hormones as
drugs.
Core concepts related to hormone mechanism of
action are presented as the following topics:
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Lay Interpretation
How a hormone does what it does in a very important
part of understanding the basics of endocrinology as it relates to
us and hGH.
In the next three pages, we will explore:
How a hormone can change its target; A look at
receptor sites on a cell's surface; AND at cells with receptor sites
within their borders. |
