B.  PITUITARY GLAND -- ANSWERS

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

     7.   We have already studied two pituitary hormones, FSH and LH which in females
          help to regulate the timing of the    M E N S T R U A L    C Y C 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 U B E R T Y, a normal increase in this hormone
          triggers a growth spurt.  The function of GH is to stimulate growth of the long
          B O N E S   of your body. 

      Of course, this hormone may be misused by some people.  The man on the left, once
      considered a Giant in his sport, is suspected of doing this.
    
      9.   Sometime too much (H Y P E R) amounts or too little (H Y P O) amounts
           of this hormone are secreted.   This can result in unusual conditions, some of
           which create medical complications.

    10.  A   H Y P E R S E C R E T I O N   during youth can result in  G I A N T I S 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 Y P O S E C R E T I O N   during youth can result in  D W A R F I S 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 A C I A 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 D R E N O    
           C O R T I C O    T R O P H I C     H O R M O N E.   The many connected
           rings of this molecule tell a chemist that it is a S T E R O I D.   Barry, pictured
           way above, has certainly heard this word. 
                 

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

    14.  The function of ACTH is to stimulate the ADRENAL  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  P R O T E I N  which consists of only 39 amino acids.  ACTH,
           once it arrives via the  B L O O D  at in target cells acts by stimulating specialized 
           R E C E P T O R    P R O T E I N S  on the cell surface of those target cells of
           the  A D R E N A L    GLAND.

 

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