Hormones and Hydrophobic/Phillic question
Biology discussion, revision, exam and homework help.
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Hormones and Hydrophobic/Phillic questionIn my notes ive written that steroid hormones, because they are hydrophillic, have to travel in the bloodstream attached to another chemical- why is this? Surely if they are repelled by water, in the blood stream, they can't exactly leave water?
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Re: Hormones and Hydrophobic/Phillic question(Original post by iammichealjackson)
In my notes ive written that steroid hormones, because they are hydrophillic, have to travel in the bloodstream attached to another chemical- why is this? Surely if they are repelled by water, in the blood stream, they can't exactly leave water?
As far as I am aware, most steroid hormones are lipid soluble (and thus hydrophobic), e.g. oestrogen crossing membranes without using carrier proteins and the like. -
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Re: Hormones and Hydrophobic/Phillic questionOh yes that would make sense, given that they are non-polar(Original post by thegodofgod)
As far as I am aware, most steroid hormones are lipid soluble (and thus hydrophobic), e.g. oestrogen crossing membranes without using carrier proteins and the like.
Anyway, I don't get why for something to be carried in the blood it has to be hydrophillic, i know there is H20 in the blood, but surely it can hardly be repelled outside of the blood stream- or can it? Or does it just increase diffusion of molecules in the blood stream through osmosis and the like?
So if i re-word the question; why do steroid hormones (because they are hydroPHOBIC) have to travel on carrier molecules in the blood?Last edited by iammichealjackson; 04-07-2012 at 14:18. -
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Re: Hormones and Hydrophobic/Phillic questionThey're generally very hydrophobic (google cholesterol) and so simply arent soluble enough for efficient transport in the blood stream. Binding to hydrophobic clefts on carrier proteins such as albumin allows their transport as the carrier proteins themeselves are hydrophilic on their solvent exposed surfaces and are thus solvated and efficiently transported in the blood stream.(Original post by iammichealjackson)
Oh yes that would make sense, given that they are non-polar
Anyway, I don't get why for something to be carried in the blood it has to be hydrophillic, i know there is H20 in the blood, but surely it can hardly be repelled outside of the blood stream- or can it? Or does it just increase diffusion of molecules in the blood stream through osmosis and the like?
So if i re-word the question; why do steroid hormones (because they are hydroPHOBIC) have to travel on carrier molecules in the blood? -
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Re: Hormones and Hydrophobic/Phillic questionCool, so basically for efficient transport being attracted to the moving water particles helps? This makes sense for me(Original post by LearningMath)
They're generally very hydrophobic (google cholesterol) and so simply arent soluble enough for efficient transport in the blood stream. Binding to hydrophobic clefts on carrier proteins such as albumin allows their transport as the carrier proteins themeselves are hydrophilic on their solvent exposed surfaces and are thus solvated and efficiently transported in the blood stream.
