Which one of the following pairs of hormones are the examples of those that can easily pass through the cell membrane of the target cell and bind to a receptor inside it (mostly in the nucleus)?
- Insulin, glucagon
- Thyroxine, insulin
- Somatostatin, oxytocin
- Cortisol, testosterone
Answer
(4) Cortisol, testosterone
Solution
As per NCERT, hormones which interact with membrane-bound receptors normally do not enter the target cell (e.g., protein hormones such as insulin and glucagon, and peptide hormones such as somatostatin and oxytocin).
Hormones which interact with intracellular receptors (e.g., steroid hormones, iodothyronines) mostly regulate gene expression by interacting with the genome.
Cortisol and testosterone are both steroid hormones (lipid soluble), so they cross the cell membrane easily.
∴ The correct pair is cortisol, testosterone.
Answer: (4)