The Human body is a combination of various systems. The functioning of the systems must be monitored, and their rhythm must be altered accordingly to match with the environment. Hormones which are periodically released by the endocrine glands are responsible for the body to get adopted to various situations. Among the hormones secreted, ADH and Aldosterone are equally essential.
Summary
ADH vs Aldosterone
The main difference between ADH and Aldosterone is that ADH helps in maintaining the water content in our body whereas Aldosterone helps in maintaining both water content and salt content in the blood. ADH and Aldosterone act over the kidneys to control the absorption of water by the blood.
ADH, also called an Antidiuretic hormone acts upon the kidneys to control the water absorption and excretion cycles. ADH is a peptide hormone whose major constituent is protein. Their zone of secretion is different to that of the zone of action. ADH is responsible to make us feel thirst upon the critical water level in our body.
Aldosterone is a steroid-based hormone. Unlike ADH, Aldosterone is secreted right above its zone of action. The zone of action is the kidneys for ADH. It regulates the water content as well as the content of salt in the blood. The reabsorption of sodium salt in the bloodstream is regulated by this hormone.
Comparison Table Between ADH and Aldosterone
| Parameters of Comparison | ADH | Aldosterone |
| Alternate name | Arginine Vasopressin | Aldocorten, Aldocortin, Electrocortin, etc. |
| Zone of Secretion | It is secreted in the Hypothalamus. | This hormone is secreted in the Adrenal gland. |
| Zone of Action | It acts on Kidneys to regulate the reabsorption of fluid. | It acts on Kidneys to regulate the reabsorption of fluid and electrolytes. |
| Significance | This maintains proper water content in the body. Maintains blood pressure under optimal level. | This hormone maintains water content and regulates the reabsorption of Salt in the bloodstream. Decreases the salt concentration when the blood pressure hikes. |
| Type | It is a Peptide hormone non-permeable cell membrane. | It is a Steroid based hormone with a permeable cell membrane. |
What is ADH?
Antidiuretic Hormone(ADH) is one of the vital hormones essential for the optimal functioning of the human body. Hypothalamus secretes ADH. The secreted hormone is stored in the posterior pituitary gland and released whenever required.
ADH is released into the bloodstream when the blood osmolality (a medical term used to represent the number of dissolved particles in the blood) increases. When the ADH saturation in the blood is low, the kidneys are forced to excrete too much water either through urine or through the skin as sweat compels one to drink water.
If the water content in the body is too low, the hypothalamus secretes ADH hormone, which creates an urge to drink water by making the individual feel thirsty.
Thus ADH is an absolute lifesaver because it helps to neutralise blood pressure levels by increasing the volume of blood.
The volume of blood can be increased by lowering the concentration of water in the blood, and this hormone helps the kidney to reabsorb the same. The effect of ADH could last only for 16 to 24 minutes.
Other than managing the fluid concentration, it is sometimes released directly into the brain. The released ADH into the brain helps in maintaining proper social behaviour, sexual motivation, and stress management.
What is Aldosterone?
Aldosterone is a steroid base hormone secreted and released in response to the body’s improper salt and water content. It gets secreted in the adrenal gland.
It is secreted as a resin, angiotensin, and aldosterone complex. The production of Aldosterone is not a single-step process. The kidneys produce a hormone called renin upon stimulus. The renin is sent to the liver which then permutes as Angiotensin I.
Angiotensin I gets converted into Angiotensin II in the lungs. The final product Angiotensin II is sent to the adrenal gland over the kidneys to produce the Aldosterone hormone.
Increased potassium and low sodium concentration in the bloodstream induce the production of Aldosterone. The Aldosterone helps in maintaining proper fluid balance, increases and decreases sodium and potassium concentration in the blood respectively. This hormone is responsible for lowering blood pressure under a hypertensive state.
Aldosterone is a complex of resin, angiotensin and aldosterone have a plasma half-life of 20 minutes. When Aldosterone concentration is high, it increases the blood pressure, makes oneself feel weak, and even paralysis in rare cases.
It is an everyday hormone that is secreted only on a milligram basis. To be short, Aldosterone helps to maintain healthy water and sodium levels, however excreting excess potassium to lowers the blood pressure.
Main Differences Between ADH and Aldosterone
- ADH is a peptide-based hormone, whereas Aldosterone is a steroid-based one.
- ADH is secreted in the hypothalamus and acts on the kidney to regulate water reabsorption. While Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal gland on the kidneys to regulate water and salt content.
- ADH responds faster than Aldosterone, while the former is lipophobic and the latter is lipophilic.
- ADH utilises water channel but, Aldosterone uses an osmotic pressure gradient.
- ADH affects the normal concentration of the blood but the Aldosterone doesn’t affect the osmal concentration.
- The cell membrane of ADH isn’t water permeable, whereas Aldosterone has a water-permeable cell membrane.
Conclusion
Human anatomy is a complex structure that involves a lot of research to completely establish the significance of every organ. The years which have passed opened up everything which was considered mysterious due to the advancement in technology. This technology gets improved every day as new research outcomes and discoveries arrive.
ADH and Aldosterone are just hormones secreted in a fluid form that helps us to live accordingly to the changing environment. Though they are secreted in various parts of the body, they act on kidneys in their way. They let us live by constantly monitoring and maintaining the proper fluid and electrolyte levels