What is the role of the adipokine leptin in the regulation of body mass?

Correct answer: It acts on the hypothalamus to curtail appetite.

Explanation

Leptin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue that plays a crucial role in long-term energy homeostasis. It signals the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, about the status of fat reserves, leading to a reduction in appetite and an increase in energy expenditure.

Other questions

Question 1

What are the two general classes of muscle tissue, which differ in physiological role and fuel utilization?

Question 2

What is the primary fuel source for resting skeletal muscle?

Question 3

Which hormone is released into the blood to prepare the muscles, lungs, and heart for a burst of activity, mediating the 'fight or flight' response?

Question 4

What is the primary function of brown adipose tissue (BAT)?

Question 5

What is the approximate Body Mass Index (BMI) threshold above which an individual is considered obese?

Question 7

Which peptide hormone, secreted by endocrine cells in the small intestine and colon after a meal, acts on the arcuate nucleus to inhibit NPY release and reduce hunger?

Question 8

What is the primary role of the Cori cycle?

Question 9

What is the characteristic symptom that defines the metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X?

Question 10

What is the primary mechanism by which sulfonylurea drugs are used to treat type 2 diabetes?

Question 11

What is the fate of excess acetyl-CoA in the liver during prolonged fasting or in uncontrolled diabetes?

Question 12

What is the approximate normal range for blood glucose concentration in humans?

Question 13

In the hypothalamic regulation of appetite, which neurons are considered orexigenic (appetite-stimulating)?

Question 14

What is the mechanism of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway triggered by leptin?

Question 15

Which enzyme is a key target of the hormone adiponectin and plays a central role in regulating the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates by phosphorylating other key metabolic enzymes?