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Article: Hormones
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- Biology
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Hormones
Hormones are molecules released by a group of cells in the body that influence the behavior of another group of cells. Hormones are the chemical signals of the
endocrine
system, the group of glands that, along with the nervous system, controls the body's responses to internal and external stimuli. Hormones are carried to their target cells in the bloodstream.
All hormones bind at the target cell to a specific receptor, a
protein
made by the target cell. When the hormone binds to the receptor, it causes a change in the receptor's
conformation
, or shape. This conformation change allows the receptor to fit with other cell molecules in a way it could not before, thus ...