Hormones

Question 1

The function of hormones

Answer 1

Unlike neurotransmitters, hormones travel with blood, regulate long-term ongoing processes and allow for less voluntary control; the nervous system and the endocrine system are interdependent

Question 2

How do hormones influence behaviour?

Answer 2

Hormones don’t influence behaviour directly, instead they change the probability that a certain behaviour will occur in response to a certain environmental stimulus

Question 3

Oxytocin production

Answer 3

Oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus and released into the blood by the pituitary gland

Question 4

Role of oxytocin

Answer 4

Interpersonal trust, fidelity, intergroup conflict, increases trust in humans, sexual reproduction, childbirth

Question 5

What are hormones?

Answer 5

Hormones are chemical messengers released by the endocrine glands into the bloodstream

Question 6

Why aren’t neurotransmitters enough?

Answer 6

(Hormones are released into the bloodstream and travel with blood to reach their destination). Neurotransmission is communication along nervous cells. The implication of this is that hormones can reach places that the nervous system does not cover, because the network of blood vessels is more elaborate.
While neurotransmitters are essential for communication within the nervous system, they primarily act on nearby cells at synapses. However, hormones are necessary for communication between distant cells and organs throughout the body. Hormones are released into the bloodstream, allowing them to reach target cells or organs that may be far away from the site of hormone production. This widespread distribution and systemic impact make hormones indispensable for coordinating various physiological processes and maintaining homeostasis.

Question 7

How do neurotransmitters and hormones work differently? What’s the main difference in how they work?

Answer 7

The main difference lies in their mode of action and distribution:
- Neurotransmitters work locally at synapses, where they diffuse across the synaptic cleft and bind to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, leading to rapid and precise communication between neurons.
- Hormones, on the other hand, are released into the bloodstream and travel throughout the body to exert their effects on target cells or organs that possess specific receptors for that hormone. This systemic distribution allows hormones to regulate a wide range of physiological processes over longer durations, often exerting slower but more prolonged effects compared to neurotransmitters.

Generally, the degree of voluntary control over neural regulation is higher than over hormonal regulation. For example, it is possible for you to control your emotions to a certain extent, whereas the degree of control you have over your growth is negligible.

Question 8

Target cells

Answer 8

Hormones can only influence cells that have receptors for this particular hormone. Such cells are called target cells. When a hormone binds to a receptor it launches a sequence of changes, some of which are genomic: gene activation or gene suppression. Essentially, what this means is that hormones do not influence behaviour directly. Instead, they change the probability that a certain behaviour will occur in response to a certain environmental stimulus.