hormonenes

Hormonenes is a term that appears in some discussions to describe signaling molecules that regulate physiology through endocrine, paracrine, or autocrine actions. It is not a widely established term in mainstream biology, where the standard category is hormones, with classes such as peptide hormones, steroid hormones, and amine hormones. The use of hormonenes is often found in theoretical, educational, or speculative contexts, where the word is used to emphasize signaling properties rather than delineate a fixed subclass.

In conceptual uses, hormonene-like signals are produced by specialized cells or glands, released into extracellular fluids, and transported to target cells. They exert effects by binding to receptors and triggering signaling cascades that influence metabolism, growth, reproduction, stress responses, or behavior. They can function as endocrine messengers traveling through the circulatory system, as paracrine factors acting locally, or as autocrine signals that regulate the producing cell itself.

Biological models that employ the term hormonenes may encompass a wide range of molecules, including peptides, steroids, amino acid derivatives, and other small molecules that influence cellular activity. Regulation occurs through feedback loops, control of synthesis and degradation, and interactions with transport or binding proteins. Disorders associated with hormonal signaling, in real-world biology, illustrate how disruptions in these pathways can affect multiple organ systems, underscoring the central role of hormone-like signals in physiology.

See also: Hormone, Endocrine system, Signaling molecule.