Human Hormones Web Activity

    Items in italics are only for Bio H or strong Bio R students.
         Please attempt all questions before checking answers to each section!
 

    

    A.  INTRODUCTION
  

 

 

   1.   The system of the human body which regulated chemical
           messages is the  E _ _ O _ R _ _ E   system. 

   

 

   

        2.    The _ H _ _ I C A _  secretions of the endocrine glands are
                known as H _ _ _ O _ _ S

    

 

 

        3.    These hormones only function at selected target
               cells where they attach to specific  
               _ R _ _ E _ N     R _ _ E _ T_ _ S

 

 

   

 

         4.    These hormones only get to their specific targets
                after circulating through the  _ L _ O _     _ T _ E _ M

 

Some blood vessels

       

   +      

   5.    Since these hormones do not
          have their own delivery tubes
          (DUCTS), they are known as
          D U_ _ L _ _ S    _ L A _ _ S

                I never said I could spell!

           

       

            Here are some of the major glands we will study as
          we explore hormones of the endocrine system of humans.

 

 

       Press here to check the answers to Section A

 

 

 

   

     B.  PITUITARY GLAND

    6.   Located at the base of the hypothalamus of the  _ R _ I _  & due to its many
          hormones and many functions it is nicknamed the M _ _ _ E R   GLAND of
          the body.  Really there are two parts to the pituitary gland, the front part known
          as the  A _ T _ R _ O _ (L) & the rear part known as the  _ _ S T _ _ I _ R (L)

           

     7.   We have already studied two pituitary hormones, FSH and LH which in females
          help to regulate the timing of the    _ E _ S _ R U _ L    _ Y _ L E. 

   

        8.   Two additional hormones of the pituitary are to be
              studied today.  The first of these is Growth Hormone
              (a.k.a. human growth hormone).  During embryonic
              growth and again during  P _ _ E _ T _   , a normal
              increase in this hormone triggers a growth spurt.  The
                                                 function of GH is to stimulate growth of the long
                                                 _ O _ _ S   of your body. 

   Of course, this hormone may be mis-used by some people. 
   The man on the left is suspected of doing this.
 

 

       
        9.   Sometime too much (H Y _ _ R) amounts or too little (H _ P O) amounts
            of this hormone are secreted.   This can result in unusual conditions, some of
            which create medical complications.

                   

     10.  A  H _ _ E R S E _ R _ T I _ _   during youth can result in  G _ A _ T _ _ M
           Robert Wadlow of Illinois was the tallest ever at 8'11".  Leonid Stadnyk of the
           Ukraine is the current holder at a mere 8'5". 

           

    11.   A   H _ _ O _ E C _ E T _ _ N   during youth can result in
            D _ A _ F _ _ M.  Khagendra at age 14 of Nepal on the left
            with his father is the world's current shortest adult. 
 

 

           

 

       

        12.   An excess of Growth Hormone in a person
              who has reached adult height, does not
              affect limb bones but rather F _ _ I _ L
              bones. This medical condition is known as
       ACROMEGALY and is serious.  Pictured is US actor Paul Benedict
      who in the '70's played a British neighbor in the hit comedy "The
      Jeffersons."  You have all seen him on Sesame Street as the mime who
                            painted numbers in very odd places.   No photo of this available.

       

        13.   The last new pituitary hormone today is ACTH.  You are
                now wondering, "how in the world do I pronounce that?"
                It is an acronym for  A _ R E _ O     C _ R _ I C _    
                T _ O _ H I _     H _ _ _ O _ E.    The many connected
                rings of this molecule tell a chemist that it is a  S _ E R _ _ D
                Barry, pictured way above, has certainly heard this word. 
                 

           A _ R E _ O   is the target of this hormone  -- the _ D R _ N A _   _ L A _ _
           C _ R _ I C _   is the outside targeted region of this gland  -- its  C _ R _ E X
           T _ O _ H I _  as in the word  AUTOT _ O _ H  means stimulating.
           H _ _ _ O _ E  is what this proteins that travel via the blood are.

       

        14.    The function of ACTH is to stimulate the _____________
                 gland to release its valuable hormone, but we will study
                 this other hormone only when we get to the correct gland
                 in another part of the body. 

       

 

           

       15.    ACTH is a small  _ R _ _ E _ N  which consists of only 39
               amino acids.  ACTH, once it arrives via the  _ L _ _ _  at in
               target cells acts by stimulating specialized  R _ _ E P _ _ R _   
               P _ O _ _ I _ S  on the cell surface of those target cells of
               the  _ D _ E N A _    GLAND.

 

            Press here for the answers to Pituitary Section B

 

 

    C.  THYROID GLAND

                             
    16. The location of the mammalian thyroid gland is in the  N _ _ _ and it wraps
          itself around the  T _ A C _ _ A  of your respiratory system. 

                                                                                                                                         17.  The hormone  T _ Y _ O _ _ N _ is made
       within the thyroid.  This is the hormone that
       stimulates and thus regulated the process of 
       _ E L _     _ _ S _ I R _ T _ O _. 


 

    18.   Thyroxin can not be made unless there is sufficient  I _ D _ _ E   in your diet.
            In early earth, iodine was virtually everywhere, but being rather water soluble,
            most of it over a few billion years has now ended up in the  _ C _ A _ S.  If you
            even once a month eat a meal of  _ _ _ F O O D, then you have consumed
            enough iodine.

            

     19.   Several foods that naturally have high iodine content are:
            _ H _ I _ _,          L _ _ _ _ E R,   _ _ N A  (fresh or from a can)
            But since a lot of us will not eat from a marine menu (or one from the army),
            our government has a sneaky way of getting the little bit of iodine we need into
            our diet through a back door means. 

                                            

                Picture A                                    Picture B

            Which of the two products pictured above contains iodine?    ____  (a rough one!)

     20.   Earlier, you learned that the chemical protein (H _ _ _ O N _) needed to stimulate
            cell respiration is none other than _ _ Y _ O _ I N _.   But what does it mean to
            "stimulate cell respiration?"  When you have lots of thyroxine, cell respiration
            proceeds at a   _ U _ _ K   rate, lots of  _ L _ _ O S _  is burned and lots of 
            _ _ _   is made.  The person tends to (burn/store) _______ energy (calories) and
            tends to (gain/lose) ________ weight.   Obviously, when you have little thyroxin,
            cell respiration proceeds at a  _ _ _ _   rate and all the prior answers are reversed. 

           

     21.  Another side effect of making thyroxine is that you can confuse
            the poor thyroid gland.  When there is insufficient iodine in the
            diet, the thyroid tries to cope by undergoing a lot of mitosis and
            _ _ creasing in mass to do a better job of filtering iodine from
            the blood.   This won't work, however, since filtering was not
            the issue, but rather not enough _________  in the diet.  The
            thyroid may increase to huge sizes in its quest for enough
            iodine.  Such an enlarged thyroid, due to ____________ dietary
            iodine is known as a  G _ I _ _ R.   Pictured is a rather
                                       grotesque one; don't you agree?
           
       

            21b.   (Not in Web Script)  You do remember Don from old
            time T.V.   He seems to show the symptoms of excess
            thyroxine  -- a very T _ _ N  build and protruding eyes.  Here,
            he is pictured as Barney Fife from the very old Andy Griffith
            show of the 60's.   That the 1960's not the 1860's of course.
            As I added this, I looked up the spelling of Fife and saw that
            he died exactly 2 years ago today  3/24/06. 

                   Press here for answer to Section C -- thyroid

 

 

          D  --  PARATHYROID GLAND
           Only do this section if considering the SAT II Subject Test in June.    

           

      22.  Location  --  Imbedded within the  _ H _ _ O _ D  gland in the  N _ _ _.
                The hormone of this gland is  P _ _ A _ H _ R _ O N _

      23.  Function of this hormone is to regulate the amount of the element  C _ _ _ I _ M
             in the blood.  But once taken out of the blood, this element should also be found
             in your  T _ _ _ H   & in your  B _ _ E S.

        Press here for the Answer to Section D  -- parathyroid

 

 

 

        E  --  ADRENAL GLAND
                    Everybody resumes here!

       

24.   Location  --  The adrenal gland is located on top of
                 the K I _ _ _ Y.  (There are two of them.)   The
                 medical adjective for kidney is RENAL and this
                 _ N _ O C _ _ N _    gland is literally ADded to the
                 top of the RENAL organ (the kidney).

     

    25.  The adrenal gland has both an outside portion (CORTEX) and an inside portion
           (the MEDULLA).  Each region of the adrenal glands produces a significant
           but different hormone.

          

 26.  The hormone of the outside part of the
        renal gland (the C _ _ _ _ X) is known
        as  C _ _ _ I S _ _ E.   It is used to help
        maintain healthy cartilage and thus help
        to protect your  J _ I _ _ S.  If your 
        joints start to fail, you may suffer from
                                        the debilitating disease  _ R _ _ _ I T _ S. 

                    
                             A                                B                                    C

    27.   The hormone of the inside part of the renal gland (the  M _ _ U _ L _) is known
           as  _ D _ E N _ _ I _.   It is used in emergency situations.  It is sometimes known
           as the  F _ _ H T (A),  F L _ G _ _ (B), or F R I _ H _ (C) hormone.  It would
           spring to your defense if you were in a F _ _ H T, had to run a lot (take
           F L _ G _ _), or somebody snuck up behind you and gave you a great big
           F R I _ H _. 

       

      28.   It affects the actions of your  H _ A _ T  (& more) in the
             defense of your body.  Yah for Adrenalin.   Yes, Virginia,
             adrenalin has another name  -- Epinephrine.  Those of you
             who may have strong allergic responses (such as to bee
             stings) may carry an  _ P _ _ E N  for such an emergency
             situation.

 

            Press here for the answers to Section E --  Adrenal Glands

          

F  --  ISLETS OF LANGERHANS

    

29.   The Islets of Langerhans are scattered groups of coordinated cells
        (T _ _ _ U _ S)  located within an organ known as the  P _ _ _ R E _ S.
        As you guessed, they are named for their discoverer, Doctor
        _ _ N _ E R _ A _ S.  While much of the pancreas produces enzymes
        for the D _ _ E _ T I _ _   system, the Islets of Langerhans produce
        two different  H _ _ _ O N _ S  for the endocrine system.



30.   One of the hormones of the Islets of Langerhans is  I _ S _ L I _ . 
        This hormone converts excess G _ U _ O _ E  into a complex starch
        (P _ _ Y S A _ _ H _ _ I D _) known as G _ Y C _ _ E N.  (This is the
        process of  D _ _ Y _ R _ _ I _ N     S _ N _ _ E S _ _)

    31.  When this hormone functions properly by
           binding to its cellular  _ R O _ _ I N
           receptor sites, the concentration of glucose
           in your body tissues will then start to
           _ _ CREASE. 

     32.    The other hormone of the  I _ _ E _ S  of  L A _ G _ R _ A _ _    is known as
              G _ U _ _ G O _.   This hormone converts the starch glycogen back into single
              G _ U _ O S _   molecules.  (This is the process of  _ Y D _ O L _ _ I S.) 

     33.   When this hormone also binds to its protein  R _ _ E P _ _ R   sites. the
             concentration of glucose in your body tissues will then start to  _ _ CREASE.

     34.   Since one hormone increases blood  _ L _ _ O _ E, while the others lowers it,
             their actions are opposite (A _ T _ _ O N _ _ _ I _)  to each other.  Together,
             this hormonal pair tends to keep blood sugar levels near constant levels
             (H _ _ E _ S _ _ S I _). 

Press here for answers to Section F Islets of Langerhans 

 

        G  --  SEX GLANDS

        

    35.   Sex Glands are collectively known as  G _ _ A _ S.   The same glands which
              make the sex cells (G _ _ E _ _ S) are the same glands which produce the
              hormones which regulate the male & female reproductive systems. 

       

      36. The male gonad (T _ _ T I _) not only makes sperm,
            but also makes the male hormones which are collectively
            known as   A _ _ R O _ _ N S.  The hormone 
            T _ _ _ O S _ E R _ _ _  is one of these male hormones
            which also regulate male secondary sexual characteristics
            such as  B _ A _ D  growth, low  vocal  P _ _ C _   and
            fat deposits largely around the W _ I _ T. 

           

       37.  The female gonad (_ V _ _ Y) not only makes eggs
              (_ V _), but also makes the female hormones which are
              collectively known as the  E _ _ R O _ _ _ S.  The
              hormones  _ S T _ O _ _ N and  P _ O _ E _ T _ _ _ _ E
              are two of these female hormones which also regulate
              female secondary sexual characteristics such as lack of
              most body  H _ _ _ , high vocal  P _ _ _ H, and fat
              deposits in the upper  T _ I _ _  and B _ T _ O _ K _. 

        Press here for the answers to Section G -- Sex Glands
       
  

    H --  SUMMARY

         
    38.  The various glands of the human  _ _ D O _ R _ _ E  system have many
           characteristics in common.
            a.   Their secretions are known as  _ _ R _ O _ E S.
            b.   The secretion made from A _ _ _ O    _ C I _  subunits are _ R O T _ _ _ S.
            c.   The secretions arrive at their targets through the _ L _ _ _.
            d.   The secretions are  _ _ _ W   to arrive at their target tissues.
            e.   The secretions once at their targets show a _ _ _ _    duration at the sites.
           

        Press here for the answers to Section I Summary!
       
            Thanks you for honestly completing this activity!