Peptides
Peptides are special organic structures, which are found throughout human body and plays important role in various bodily function.
There are is a huge range of function that is performed by the peptides in human body, few are listed below:
- Protein and peptide hormones generally attach to membrane receptors, where they activate a second messenger within the cell in the same way like a metabotropic synapse.
- Orexin is a peptide which maintains wakefulness. Cells in the lateral and posterior nuclei of the hypothalamus are responsible for release of this peptide.
- Fat cells produce a peptide called leptin, it provides the brain with a signal about weight loss or gain and therefore controls day-to-day errors in the amount of feeding. Low levels of leptin enhances hunger more effectively than high levels decrease it.
- Neuropeptides chains of amino acids, are the ones responsible for blocking the satiety actions of the paraventricular nucleus.