Human A&PBIO 304 · American River College ← Week 05 pre-work

BIO 304 · Week 05 · Interactive Workbook

Major Endocrine Glands

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Part 1 of 4 · Recall

Fill in the blanks

Type the term that completes each statement, using the word bank. Pull it from memory first.

Word bank

CalcitoninBeta cells → insulinMSHReleasing & inhibiting hormonesTestesKidneyZona reticularisZona glomerulosaPlacenta (pregnancy)SensesTSHFSH & LHMelatoninEpinephrine + norepinephrineADH (vasopressin)

  1. travel via portal system to anterior pituitary
  2. osmolarity, temperature, hunger, hormone levels
  3. stimulates thyroid → T₃/T₄
  4. gonadotropins; gametogenesis and sex hormone production
  5. melanocyte stimulation
  6. kidney water reabsorption; vasoconstriction
  7. darkness signal; circadian rhythm; sleep onset
  8. parafollicular C cells; lowers blood Ca²⁺ (minor role)
  9. aldosterone — Na+ retention, K+ excretion
  10. androgens (DHEA, androstenedione)
  11. ~80%/20%; fight-or-flight; rapid
  12. lowers blood glucose; uptake in muscle, liver, fat
  13. testosterone; spermatogenesis
  14. hCG, estrogen, progesterone
  15. erythropoietin (RBC production); renin (blood pressure)

Define it: high-yield vocabulary

Write a clear definition in your own words for each term.

  1. Hypothalamus
  2. Anterior pituitary
  3. Posterior pituitary
  4. Growth hormone (GH)
  5. ADH (vasopressin)
  6. Oxytocin
  7. Thyroid hormone (T3/T4)
  8. PTH (parathyroid hormone)
  9. Insulin
  10. Glucagon
  11. Cortisol
  12. Epinephrine

Part 2 of 4 · Anatomy lab

Draw and label

Box A. Endocrine gland locations

Directions

  1. Draw a simple body outline (head, trunk, limbs).
  2. At the base of the brain (deep inside the skull): pituitary gland. Label.
  3. In the neck (anterior, below the larynx): thyroid gland. Label.
  4. On top of each kidney (just above the kidneys): adrenal glands. Label.
  5. In the abdomen, behind the stomach: pancreas. Label.
  6. In the pelvis: ovaries (in females) or testes (in males). Label.
  7. In the chest (upper thorax): thymus (label, large in children, smaller in adults).
  8. Add small notes next to each gland with ONE major hormone it produces.
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Box B. Pituitary close-up

Directions

  1. Draw the hypothalamus (above) connected to the pituitary gland (below) by a stalk (infundibulum).
  2. Split the pituitary into two parts: ANTERIOR pituitary (larger, glandular) and POSTERIOR pituitary (smaller, nervous tissue).
  3. Anterior pituitary: hypothalamic neurons release releasing hormones into a portal blood system that travels to the anterior pituitary. The anterior pituitary then releases its OWN hormones into the general circulation. Label hypothalamic-pituitary portal system.
  4. List 4 anterior pituitary hormones: TSH, ACTH, FSH/LH, GH, Prolactin (pick any 4 and label).
  5. Posterior pituitary: hypothalamic neurons send axons directly into the posterior pituitary. Their hormones (ADH, oxytocin) are stored there and released directly into circulation.
  6. Label ADH and oxytocin as posterior pituitary hormones.
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Structures to label

Label each on your drawing.

  1. Hypothalamus
  2. Pituitary gland
  3. Anterior pituitary
  4. Posterior pituitary
  5. Thyroid gland
  6. Adrenal gland
  7. Pancreas
  8. Ovary / Testis
  9. Thymus
  10. TSH
  11. ACTH
  12. Growth hormone (GH)
  13. ADH (vasopressin)
  14. Oxytocin
  15. Insulin
  16. Glucagon
  17. Thyroid hormone (T3/T4)
  18. Cortisol
  19. Epinephrine

Part 3 of 4 · Physiology lab

Reason it through

A. Gland, hormone, target, effect

Insulin and glucagon are both made by the pancreas but have opposing effects on blood glucose. Predict which is released after a meal, which during fasting, and explain how their opposing actions stabilize blood glucose.
The anterior pituitary releases trophic hormones (TSH, ACTH, FSH/LH) that act on OTHER endocrine glands. Explain why this multi-step system gives finer regulation than a single hormone acting directly, using the negative feedback concept.

B. Synthesis

1. Type 1 diabetes destroys pancreatic beta cells. Predict the patient's blood glucose level after a meal AND after an overnight fast, and explain mechanistically what is happening in each state.
2. Cushing's syndrome is caused by excess cortisol. Predict the patient's symptoms (across blood glucose, body fat distribution, immune function, bone density). For each, explain mechanistically why cortisol produces that effect.
3. A pituitary tumor compresses the posterior pituitary and reduces ADH release (diabetes insipidus). Predict the patient's urine output, blood sodium concentration, and behavior. Why is ADH critical for water homeostasis?

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