Hormones are biochemical messengers that act to orchestrate the responses of different cells within a multicellular organism (Chapter 37). They are generally synthesized by specific tissues and secreted directly into the blood, which transports them to their target responsive organs. Hormones can broadly be subdivided into two major classes:
- steroid hormones
- polypeptide hormones
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| These hormones achieve their biological effects by interacting with specific receptors to induce intracellular signaling cascades.
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