Relaxin

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/relaxin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Relaxin?1926
2. What is the discoverer?Frederick Hisaw
3. What is the classification?Protein hormone, member of the relaxin family within the insulin superfamily
4. What is relaxin and why is it called a super stretcher?Relaxin is a tiny protein hormone that helps make tissues stretchy. It helps the body change and adapt during important times, like pregnancy.
5. How does relaxin help babies during birth?Relaxin makes the cervix and the joint between the pelvis bones softer and more flexible. This helps the baby move through the birth canal more easily.

Extracellular Matrix (ECM): The network of molecules outside cells that provides structural support and regulates cell behavior.
G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs): A large family of cell surface receptors that transmit signals from outside the cell to the inside.
Pleiotropic Effects: When a single gene or molecule influences multiple, distinct phenotypic traits.
Angiogenesis: The formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones.