Final answer:
A hormone containing four amino acids would be classified as a peptide hormone, which is one of the three main classes of hormones based on chemical structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hormone composed of four amino acids linked together would fall under the peptide hormone category. Hormones are generally classified into three main chemical classes based on their structure: lipid-derived hormones, amino acid-derived hormones, and peptide hormones. Specifically, peptide hormones are chains of amino acids and are water soluble. They cannot diffuse across plasma membranes, thus they typically interact with cell surface receptors. This contrasts with lipid-derived hormones, which are water insoluble but can diffuse across plasma membranes, often affecting cell function by interacting with internal receptors.