Hormone pathways and hormone cascades

• Key pathways: 

  • Blood glucose
  • Osmoregulation 
  • Metabolism 
  • Adrenaline
  • Stress 
  • Thermoregulation 
• Steps of a hormone pathway 

  1. Stimulus causes secretory cells in glands to synthesise a hormone 
  2. The hormone is transported from secretory cells to the blood 
  3. The hormone is transported in the blood to target cells 
  4. The hormone binds to complementary receptors, forming a hormone-receptor complex that stars the signal pathway in the target cell 
  5. The signal pathways produces enzymes or proteins that respond to the original stimulus 
• A hormone cascade is a series of events in which one hormone triggers the release of another hormone, leading to a chain reaction of hormonal releases and actions
• Process often starts in the brain with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which regulate various body functions through different hormone pathways