Biology C5 RR Leptin's Legacy Flashcards
Note: questions and answers are reworded from the required reading, beware issues of plagarism.
What did people originally hope leptin could be used for?
to treat obseity
What finding caused scientists to consider leptin research?
leptin lowered resistance to insuline in test mice
What is lipodystrophy?
a disease caused by the absense of fat cells, which are used to make leptin
What can leptin be used to help treat?
a defect in the leptin gene, lipodystrophy, and some cases of type 2 diabetes
What is the part of the brain that controls apetite?
the hypothamalus
Why do many obese people not improve when treated with leptin?
Obese people already have enough fat cells to make leptin, but their bodies fail to respond to it.
What types of cells produce leptin?
fat cells
For which types of people are leptin treatments effective?
those who do not produce enough leptin
What enzyme returns almost normal metabolism without increasing leptin production?
SCD-1
What is one way to treat those who do not respond well to leptin?
trigger molecules that would be signaled by leptin
What is probably the evolutionary purpose of leptin?
to allow organisms to survive during food shortages
What is “Leptin’s Legacy”?
the effectiveness of leptin on test animals encouraged large amounts of research into its effects in humans
How does Leptin help organisms survive during food shortages?
When organisms lose weight due to food shortages, fat cells produce less leptin. The hypothalamus responds to a decrease in leptin by triggering resposes to starvation.
What are the body’s responses to starvation?
decreased: calorie burning, bone growth, repoductive function, immune capacity, body temperature
increased: food intake, stress response
