13
votes
Accepted
Why is insulin given in type 2 diabetes?
Isn't it illogical to give more of insulin for a deficit amount of receptors?
Seems like there is some confusion in the definition of type-2 DM itself. According ...
- 14.1k
11
votes
Accepted
How do chameleons signal cells to change color?
As said by @dblyons, there has not been a lot of research (biochemical) on chameleons. So, the exact part of mechanism that you're looking for is still not understood. However, we have recently caught ...
- 14.1k
11
votes
Accepted
Why do we not develop tolerance to endogenous factors?
Tolerance is just a special case of homeostasis. There definitely is some level of "tolerance" to endogenous substances: down-regulation or desensitization of receptors that are over-...
- 43.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Why are fearful stimuli more powerful at night?
Short answer
The increased fear responses during the night are believed to be mediated by elevated corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) levels in the brain that drive the fear responses in the ...
- 52.3k
9
votes
Why is insulin given in type 2 diabetes?
This is true for the beginning of the disease. As a reaction to the reduced sensitivity of the cells in the body to insulin (and thus less uptake of glucose from the blood and a resulting ...
- 51.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Could a trans-female person ever become pregnant?
Medical science has reached the point where it is able to consider performing uterine transplants in genetically female (cis-female) patients born without a uterus.
In the MedlinePlus report, First ...
- 4,985
8
votes
What is the difference between a cytokine, a hormone and a protein hormone?
Parts of the answer are in the text that you provide yourself. But I shall try to add where i can.
What do each of these three terms [hormone, cytokine and protein hormone] mean and how are they ...
- 533
6
votes
Accepted
How may the age of a child be estimated when required to do so, in video-graphic evidence?
In short, without direct physical evidence (forensic or medical examination), testimony, or documentation to act as proof, you are left up to the discretion of the court to determine whether evidence ...
- 4,985
6
votes
Accepted
What are the differences between how glucagon and cortisol work to increase blood sugar?
Glucagon and cortisol are VERY different types of hormones, though each of them can affect glucose metabolism and effectively can increase glucose concentrations in the blood (albeit through different ...
- 2,368
6
votes
Accepted
Are glands in human made up of muscles?
No they are not made of muscles. Glands are modified epithelial tissues. Glands are basically of two types Endocrine and Exocrine glands.
Endocrine gland
It is a gland that lacks a duct system. ...
- 8,784
6
votes
Why is insulin given in type 2 diabetes?
Insulin is a "last resort" treatment for people with Type 2 diabetes—partly due to the unpleasantness of injections, but partly due to the fact that high insulin levels can worsen insulin ...
- 191
6
votes
Accepted
Do all organs of our body secrete hormones?
Good question! The major and most common endocrine glands in the human body include pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenal, pancreas, gonads and pineal gland, along with neuroendocrinol ...
- 14.1k
6
votes
Steroid hormones: how do they travel through the cytoplasm (not just the blood plasma) if they're hydrophobic?
Firstly not all steroid hormones travel inside the cell and regulate the gene expression.
Basically there are two pathways- direct and indirect.
Steroid hormones are lipid-soluble, which allows them ...
- 846
6
votes
Accepted
Apparent paradox in Glucagon action
Summary
The apparent paradox is resolved by the fact that not all tissues possess receptors that cause them to respond to glucagon or, more generally, to the same hormone. Where different tissues do ...
- 24.3k
5
votes
Accepted
How is adrenaline (also known as "epinephrine") a ligand?
The definition of "ligand" in the question, "a molecule or ion which donates a pair of electrons to a central transition metal ion in a complex" is clearly a more technical 'chemistry-type' of ...
- 2,368
5
votes
Accepted
Artificial Adrenalin
Yes, it is possible to extract adrenaline from the adrenal glands. This was done in 1901, a patent was filed, and it was marketed under the name Adrenalin. It is also known as epinephrine. It is ...
- 1,152
5
votes
If a human is stranded with beer but no water, should they drink it?
There is quite a lot of misunderstanding about alcohol (and caffeine) as a diuretic. It's not nearly as cut and dry as you're presenting.
There is no answer to your question. Sodium and water are ...
- 24.7k
5
votes
Accepted
What will happen if there is high concentration of both calcitonin and PTH in blood?
Short Answer: quite surprisingly, both will occur.
Long Answer: as is quite well known, calcitonin lowers blood Ca2+ levels. It performs this task by two methods:
it inhibits the activity of ...
- 14.1k
5
votes
Steroid hormones: how do they travel through the cytoplasm (not just the blood plasma) if they're hydrophobic?
I am not an expert in this area, but found a summary of and illustration from a textbook — Karen Lounsbury, Pharmacology, 2009 — on a Science Direct summary page.
Apparently for the glucocorticoid ...
- 24.3k
4
votes
What is basis of multifunctionality of "master glands" in the endocrine system?
It would seem to me that in the examples that you have listed that proximity to necessary input is the overriding logic behind gland geography. Take the hypothalamus as the first example. This gland ...
- 176
4
votes
Accepted
Over what range do Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels tend to fluctuate over the course of a day?
I wrote an answer about the circadian rhythm of TSH for a question over on Health.SE: How does one's TSH tend to vary over the course of a day. That answer also has some information on how this is ...
- 2,258
4
votes
Are there testosterone receptors in female mammary tissue?
The female mammary gland tissue contains androgen receptors (testosterone is an androgen). So this tissue is sensitive to androgens, and they inhibit the estrogen-induced proliferation. The ...
- 51.5k
4
votes
How can hyperthyroidism induce osteoporosis?
T3 stimulates osteoclast formation. Osteoclasts are cells that break down bone tissue. They are essential for bone growth in children, because they allow bone remodelling. However, elevated ...
4
votes
How to measure GnRH in menstrual cycle?
GnRH is found in very low concentrations (2-10 pg/mL)
Options:
A highly sensitive analytical method (e.g. radioimmunoassay)
To sample directly from the hypophyseal-portal system
A ...
- 544
4
votes
Accepted
Is Thyroxine a hormone?
It is necessary to distinguish between classical and non-classical actions of thyroid hormones.
Classical action involves nuclear THR (or TR) receptors (TR alpha1, TR beta1, TR beta2). They are ...
- 408
4
votes
Accepted
How are Thyroid Stimulating Ab destroying thyroid tissues?
Thyroid stimulating antibodies (sTRAb) don't destroy thyroid tissue. To the contrary, they have a TSH-like effect on thyrocytes and therefore lead to hyperthyroidism and thyroid growth resulting in ...
- 408
4
votes
difference between neurotransmitters and hormones
At heart, the distinction between neurotransmitters and hormones is how they are transmitted - not necessarily a difference in the chemicals themselves.
Neurotransmitters are sent over synapses, ...
- 1,515
4
votes
Is there any way bicondylar/bigonial, bizygomatic or bitemporal breadth can change in adults?
Acromegaly (pituitary gigantism) is a disease that causes enlargement of the bones of the face. There is interest in computerizing facial measurements to catch subtle enlargements and prompt testing ...
- 2,964
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible