They are predicted to be all kinds of shapes – it’s often their shape that is really important for how they activate their receptors and have their effects.
The hormone I work with (UrotensinII – a weird one that we are still working out!) is kind of circular., but with a little tail.
Testosterone and other sex hormones are based on a few hexagons and pentagons stuck together with other bits sticking off it all kind of directions.
Dear Luke, hormones differ in shape and this is due to the molecules that make them. So depending on whether they contain sugars, peptides and phospholipids this influences their shape and whether they are soluble in plasma or whether require a carrier protein (such as albumin) in order to be transported around the body.
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lukethetieman commented on :
Are some hormones larger than others?