The Various Functions of Hormones in a Living Organism - Research Paper

Introduction

A human body during a normal function faces catabolic state. This is the breakdown of both food and nutrients, which are later used for build up as well as tissue or muscle growth. This is different from anabolic state. Catabolic exercises consume energy and are helpful in burning fat and calories. Oxygen usage is crucial since oxygen is used as reducing agent in various chemical processes. As opposed to catabolic processes, anabolic processes make use of simple molecules within the body of an organism, the molecules are used to make complex as well as specialized compounds. Anabolism or biosynthesis is the creation of products from a series of various components during synthesis, which uses energy to generate the end products. Both anabolic and catabolic hormones in a human body help in regulating metabolic processes. The catabolic hormones help by stimulating the molecules breakdown and energy production. This entails cortisol, cytokines, glucagon and epinephrine. On the other hand, anabolic hormones are essential during the synthesis of molecules which include the growth of hormones, insulin, estrogen and insulin.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The body must get rid of metabolic wastes and the urinary system is an important part to do this. The nephron, to be specific, which are in the kidney are used to get rid of waste products before they sum up to levels which are toxic to the body. They use the filtration process were blood enters into the glomerulus through afferent arteriole and exits through the afferent arteriole, the creation of hydrostatic pressure by the flow of blood experienced in the glomerulus forces the molecules to go through glomerular filtration membrane. Reabsorption and secretion are process also experience in the nephron, reabsorption entails the movement of various elements back into the blood from the nephron while secretion is element movement into the nephron form the blood.

The functions of a kidney can be influenced by various hormones. The hormones can be paracrine or endocrine. One such hormone is antidiuretic hormone. Diuretic drugs increase the rate of water loss in the body. They include coffee or alcoholic beverages, which are prescribed for lower pressure of blood. The hormone is used to recover water, reduces urine volume and maintains blood pressure as well as plasma osmolarity. It achieves this by stimulation of aquaporin proteins movement to the interstitial space from the lumen of a collecting duct. The interstitial space is in the medulla of the kidney.

A steroid hormone known as aldosterone is secreted and synthesized in the outermost layer of an adrenal cortex, known as the zona glomerulosa. It regulates potassium and sodium homeostasis. This results to blood volume control as well as blood pressure. An acid-base imbalance is caused by a significant insult which leads to the shift of the blood pH from its normal range. The kidneys help maintaining the pH of blood by excreting hydrogen ions in the urine and reabsorb bicarbonate from the urine.

Metabolism is a process involving chemical reactions in the body of a living organism which creates while breaking down energy which are necessary for life. This determines the weight of an individual where weight gain is as a result of slow metabolism. To loss weight, the body needs to burn calories through various ways which includes exercises and activities.

As seen above, our kidneys are crucial in getting rid of metabolic wastes. This process can be increased or reduced by various factors including hormones. Metabolism also determines the weight of a person which depends on how fast it is in the body.

References

Gupta R, Gupta N, Rathi P (2004). Bacterial lipases: an overview of production, purification and biochemical properties. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 64 (6): 763-81. doi:10.1007/s00253-004-1568-8.

Koffas M, Roberge C, Lee K, Stephanopoulos G (1999). Metabolic engineering. Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 1: 535-57. doi:10.1146/annurev.bioeng.1.1.535Schmidt S, Sunyaev S, Bork P, Dandekar T (2003). Metabolites: a helping hand for pathway evolution? Trends Biochem Sci. 28 (6): 336-41. doi:10.1016/S0968-0004(03)00114-2.