Endocrine System Study Questions (select the single BEST answer)

1. If a cell does not have a receptor for a hormone, the cell will not respond to the hormone.
A) true B) false

2. Nervous impulses (action potentials) ___________ cause endocrine secretions. A) can

B) cannot

3. Which of the following would bind to receptors on the cell membrane but NOT to receptors in the
cytoplasm or nucleus of the cell? A) steroid hormones B) peptide hormones C) thyroid hormones
D) all hormones

4. The releasing and inhibiting hormones, which control secretion of the __________ pituitary, come
from the _____________________. A) posterior, hypothalamus B) anterior, posterior pituitary
C) posterior, anterior pituitary D) anterior, hypothalamus

5. All of the following are hormones secreted from the anterior pituitary except A) thyroid stimulating
hormone (TSH) B) follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) C) growth hormone D) prolactin
E) oxytocin

6. The ________ pituitary is glandular tissue. The _________ pituitary is nervous tissue. A) anterior,
posterior B) posterior, anterior

7. Growth hormone causes an increase in A) blood glucose B) protein catabolism (protein

breakdown) C) both A and B D) neither A nor B

8. Thyroid hormones A) increase basal metabolic rate B) increase responsiveness to epinephrine and
norepinephrine C) are stored as part of the thyroglobulin molecule in the colloid of the thyroid gland
D) A and B E) A, B, and C

9. There is more circulating T3 than T4. T4 is more potent than T3. Most T3 is converted to T4 in the
tissues. A) true B) false

10. Calcitonin is the most important hormone controlling blood Ca++ levels. A) true B) false

11. Complete removal of the parathyroid glands (but no other glands) will A) increase blood Ca++
levels B) cause spontaneous depolarizations C) both A and B

12. Activation of vitamin ____ in the kidney is stimulated by __________________.

A) C, calcitonin B) D, calcitonin C) A, parathyroid hormone D) D, thyroid hormone
E) D, parathyroid hormone

13. In the kidney, parathyroid hormone ____________ Ca++ reabsorption and ___________ phosphate
ion (PO43-) excretion. A) decreases, decreases B) decreases, increases C) increases, increases
D) increases, decreases

14. The adrenal cortex secretes sex hormones. A) true B) false

15. Which of the following is NOT true about cortisol? A) cortisol is a glucocorticoid B) cortisol
secretion decreases with stress C) cortisol has anti-insulin effects (on blood glucose, for example)
D) at pharmacological levels, cortisol has an anti-inflammatory effect

16. The ______________ secretes hypophysiotropic hormones (or releasing and inhibiting hormones),
which control secretion of the _________________. A) anterior pituitary, hypothalamus
B) posterior pituitary, anterior pituitary C) hypothalamus, anterior pituitary D) hypothalamus,
posterior pituitary

17. Which of the following would bind to receptors in the cell membrane but not to receptors in the
cytoplasm or nucleus of the cell? A) lipid soluble hormones B) lipid insoluble hormones

18. Which of the following is secreted from the posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis)? A) oxytocin
B) ADH (antidiuretic hormone) C) both A and B D) neither A nor B

19. Concerning thyroid hormones, which of the following is FALSE? A) thyroid hormones increase
oxygen consumption and heat production B) thyroid hormones decrease basal metabolic rate
C) iodine is necessary in the diet for thyroid hormones to be synthesized D) T4 can be converted to
T3 in the tissues E) thyroglobulin contains thyroid hormones

20. Hormones can cause which of the following? A) a change in channel permeability B) a change in
the activity of proteins already present in the cell C) synthesis of new proteins D) A and B
E) A, B, and C

21. Increased cortisol decreases CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) and ACTH (adrenocorticotropic
hormone) secretion. A) true B) false

22. The target cells of tropic hormones are A) muscle cells B) fat cells C) endocrine gland cells
D) all of these

23. All of the following are effects of parathyroid hormone EXCEPT A) increases Ca++ reabsorption in
the kidney B) increases phosphate ion excretion C) decreases blood Ca++ levels D) stimulates
activation of vitamin D in the kidneys

24. If a cell does not have a receptor for a hormone, it _________ respond to the hormone. A) can
still B) cannot

25. Which hormones bind to receptors inside the cell (in the cytoplasm or nucleus) and cause protein
synthesis? A) lipid soluble hormones B) lipid insoluble hormones C) peptide hormones
D) catecholamines E) all hormones

26. The posterior pituitary secretes A) ADH B) adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) C) growth
hormone releasing hormone D) calcitonin E) parathyroid hormone

27. Which of the following develops as a downward growth of the hypothalamus? A) the anterior
pituitary B) the posterior pituitary C) both the anterior and the posterior pituitary
D) thyroid gland E) parathyroid gland

28. Growth hormone has the following effects EXCEPT A) causes insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)
release from the liver B) decreases blood glucose C) increases protein synthesis D) increases
fatty acids in the blood
29. Which of the following is NOT true about thyroid hormones? A) thyroid hormones are stored
on thyroglobulin within the colloid of thyroid follicles B) thyroid hormones contain iodine
C) T4 can be converted to T3 in tissues D) T3 has more activity (or is more potent) than T4
E) thyroid hormones are tropic hormones

30. Which of the following is more important in controlling plasma Ca++ levels in a normal
person? A) parathyroid hormone B) calcitonin

31. Thyroid hormones ____________ responsiveness to epinephrine and norepinephrine.

A) increase B) decrease

32. Parathyroid hormone causes all of the following EXCEPT A) increases Ca++ reabsorption in
the kidney B) decreases phosphate ion (PO43-) excretion C) increases blood Ca++
D) stimulates activation of vitamin D in the kidney

33. Cortisol is A) a mineralocorticoid from the adrenal cortex B) an androgen from the adrenal
cortex C) used at high concentrations (pharmacological levels) to decrease inflammation
D) important in adaptation to stress E) C and D

34. The ductless glands (glands without ducts) are the _________ glands. A) exocrine
B) endocrine

35. Which part of the pituitary gland develops as an upward projection of the pharynx and its tissue
is glandular tissue? A) anterior pituitary B) posterior pituitary C) both A and B

36. Which of the following is NOT associated with or is NOT part of the milk letdown reflex?
A) suckling causes impulses to go to the hypothalamus B) the hypothalamus secretes a
releasing hormone C) oxytocin is released (secreted) D) oxytocin causes contraction of
myoepithelial cells E) milk is ejected into the ducts of the breast

37. The hypophysiotropic hormones (or releasing and inhibiting hormones) from the hypothalamus
control the secretions of the ________ pituitary; they reach it by traveling ________________.
A) posterior, down nerve cell axons B) posterior, in the blood C) anterior, down nerve cell
axons D) anterior, in the blood E) anterior and posterior, in the blood

38. Growth hormone A) increases blood glucose B) increases protein synthesis C) decreases
insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) release from the liver D) A and B E) A, B, and C

39. Target cells of tropic hormones are endocrine gland cells. A) True B) False

40. Which of the following is NOT matched with a correct description? A) colloid - inside
follicles of the thyroid gland B) thyroglobulin - contains thyroid hormones C) colloid -
contains thyroglobulin D) T4 - smaller amount circulating, but more potent, than T3

41. Parathyroid hormone A) decreases blood Ca++ B) decreases Ca++ reabsorption in the kidney
C) decreases phosphate ion excretion D) causes spontaneous depolarizations and tetany
(spontaneous muscle contractions) E) stimulates activation of vitamin D in the kidneys
42. Cortisol A) increases inflammation B) decreases the ability of the body to deal with stress
C) increases blood glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids D) is a mineralocorticoid from the
adrenal cortex D) A and C

43. Hypersecretion of which of the following would cause masculinization of a young child or
masculinization of a woman (a "bearded lady")? A) growth hormone B) cortisol
C) calcitonin D) parathyroid hormone E) adrenal androgens

44. Extra credit question. Which of the following is NOT associated with or is LEAST likely to
occur due to a lack of iodine in the diet? A) goiter B) high TSH (thyroid stimulating
hormone or thyrotropin) C) low TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) D) cretinism

45. cAMP (cyclic AMP) _____ the only second messenger. There _______ other second
messengers besides cAMP. A) is, are not B) is not, are

46. Releasing and inhibiting hormones (or hypophysiotropic hormones) are secreted by the
A) anterior pituitary B) posterior pituitary C) anterior and posterior pituitary
D) hypothalamus

47. The hormone that causes "milk letdown" (causes milk to be ejected into the ducts of the
mammary glands of the breast) is which of the following? A) prolactin B) oxytocin

48. It has a direct neural connection (a neural link) with the hypothalamus. Hormone release from
this gland is triggered (caused) by action potentials from the hypothalamus. The hormones
secreted from this gland are actually made in cell bodies of neurons in the hypothalamus and are
transported in vesicles to the axon terminals in this gland. It is the A) thyroid gland
B) anterior pituitary C) posterior pituitary D) parathyroid gland E) adrenal cortex

49. Secretion of which of the following is controlled by both a releasing hormone and an inhibiting
hormone? (Hint: another way to say it might be - which hormone listed has both a releasing and
an inhibiting hormone that controls its secretion.) A) TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
B) ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) C) growth hormone D) LH E) FSH

50. Which of the following is NOT a tropic hormone? A) growth hormone when it causes
insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) release from the liver B) prolactin

51. Increased thyroid hormones cause A) increased basal metabolic rate (BMR) B) decreased
responsiveness (or response) to epinephrine and norepinephrine C) both A and B

52. Increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) would NOT cause which of the following?
A) increased activation of vitamin D in the kidneys B) increased reabsorption and decreased
phosphate ion (PO43-) excretion in the kidneys C) increased Ca++ reabsorption in the kidneys
D) increased Ca++ release from bone

53. All of the following are secreted from the adrenal cortex EXCEPT A) aldosterone
B) cortisol C) sex hormones D) calcitonin

Answers to the Endocrine System Study Questions are on the next page.
 Answers to the Endocrine System Study Questions

1-A 31-A
2-A 32-B
3-B 33-E
4-D 34-B
5-E 35-A
6-A 36-B
7-A 37-D
8-E 38-D
9-B 39-A
10-B 40-D
11-B 41-E
12-E 42-C
13-C 43-E
14-A 44-C
15-B 45-B
16-C 46-D
17-B 47-B
18-C 48-C
19-B 49-C
20-E 50-B
21-A 51-A
22-C 52-B
23-C 53-D
24-B
25-A
26-A
27-B
28-B
29-E
30-A