section_path: Binding proteins
section_name: Binding proteins
paragraph_text: Binding proteins
  
  Hormone transport and the involvement of binding proteins is an essential aspect when considering the function of hormones.
  
  The formation of a complex with a binding protein has several benefits: the effective half-life of the bound hormone is increased, and a reservoir of bound hormones is created, which evens the variations in concentration of unbound hormones (bound hormones will replace the unbound hormones when these are eliminated). An example of the usage of hormone-binding proteins is in the thyroxine-binding protein which carries up to 80% of all thyroxine in the body, a crucial element in regulating the metabolic rate.