Prostaglandin

Uncommon card · No. 139965

Prostaglandins (PG) are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds that have diverse hormone-like effects in animals. They are a subclass of eicosanoids and of the prostanoid class of fatty acid derivatives. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every tissue in humans and other animals. They are derived enzymatically from the fatty acid arachidonic acid. Every prostaglandin contains 20 carbon atoms, including a 5-carbon ring. The structural differences between prostaglandins account for their different biological activities. A given prostaglandin may have different and even opposite effects in different tissues in some cases. The ability of the same prostaglandin to stimulate a reaction in one tissue and inhibit the same reaction in another tissue is determined by the type of receptor to which the prostaglandin binds. They act as autocrine or paracrine factors with their target cells present in the immediate vicinity of the site of their secretion. Prostaglandins differ from...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Calvero., Public domain