Question

The term synergistic action of hormones refers to-
A. When two hormones act together but bring about the opposite effects
B. When two hormones act together and contribute to the same function
C. When one hormone affects more than one
D. When many hormones bring about anyone function

Answer 1

Hint: Hormones are chemical messengers that are secreted directly into the bloodstream, which then carries them to the tissues and organs of the body so that they can perform their functions. There are different types of hormones that are responsible for different aspects of the functions and processes of the body.

Complete answer: Hormones play a major role in regulating cell activities and are also important for homeostatic regulation. The interaction of hormones at target cells can be of different types, namely permissiveness, antagonism, and synergy. Let us try to understand these three types of interaction in brief.

Permissiveness is referred to as the situation in which a hormone cannot showcase its full effects without the presence of another hormone. This means the functioning of one hormone is dependent on the presence of the other.

Synergism is said to occur when two or more hormones combine together in order to produce effects, which is greater than the sum of their individual effects. These effects may be complementary or additive in nature. For example, let’s consider the mammary gland that is responsible for the secretion of milk. Here, we can see the synergistic action of many hormones such as estrogen, prolactin, oxytocin, and others.

Antagonism is said to have occurred when a hormone opposes the effect of another hormone. When two hormones work in a manner such that their effects are antagonists to each other, then those pairs of hormones are termed as antagonistic pairs.
Antagonism is the term used for the hormones that have opposite actions on our bodies.
The concentration of glucose in our blood rises sharply when we eat carbohydrate-rich food. This increase in glucose level stimulates beta cells, present in the pancreas, as a result of which the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. In response to these signals, body cells take up the excess glucose by removing it from blood, and thus the blood glucose concentration sets back to normal.

So, the correct option is B.

Note: Hormones are our body’s chemical messengers.
They play a major role in controlling many of our body’s major processes, including metabolism and reproduction.
The term hormonal imbalance means either too much or too little of a certain hormone is being secreted in our body. Some common symptoms for hormonal imbalance are- gaining weight, dry skin, puffy eyes, aching muscles, frequent urination, thinning of hair, increased or decreased heart rate, etc.