Deck 41: The Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland

Question 1

The major target of growth hormone,which determines the circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1),is:

A)The pituitary gland
B)Muscles.
C)The liver.
D)The kidneys.
E)Adipose tissue.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A 17-year-old girl has not had her first menstrual period (menarche)and has no signs of puberty-associated growth spurt,breast development,or pubic hair growth.Her pediatrician suspects hypogonadism/delayed puberty of some form.One form of hypogonadism is associated with loss of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)neurons in the hypothalamus (Kallmann's syndrome).This form of tertiary hypogonadism results in which of the following?

A)Increased levels of prolactin
B)Decreased levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
C)Increased levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
D)Increased levels of luteinizing hormone (LH)
E)Decreased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The one pituitary tropic hormone that is under predominantly inhibitory control by the hypothalamus is:

A)GH.
B)TSH.
C)Somatostatin.
D)Prolactin.
E)ACTH.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The cell type that expresses prohormone convertases capable of cleaving proopiomelanocortin (POMC)into an active tropic hormone is:

A)The thyrotrope.
B)The lactotrope.
C)The corticotrope.
D)The gonadotrope.
E)The somatotrope.

Question 5

A 17-year-old girl has not had her first menstrual period (menarche)and has no signs of puberty-associated growth spurt,breast development,or pubic hair growth.Her pediatrician suspects hypogonadism/delayed puberty of some form.If this patient had a form of primary hypogonadism,she would probably exhibit increased:

A)Estrogen levels.
B)FSH levels.
C)Androgen levels.
D)TSH levels.
E)Growth hormone (GH)levels.

Question 6

Elevated levels of ACTH can cause skin darkening,as a result of the ability of ACTH to:

A)Bind to the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R).
B)Stimulate cortisol production.
C)Bind to the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)receptor
D)Stimulate adrenal androgen production.
E)Stimulate $\alpha$ -melanocyte-stimulating hormone ( $\alpha$ -MSH)production

Question 7

The preprohormone preprovasophysin is synthesized in:

A)The pars nervosa.
B)The median eminence.
C)The hypothalamic nuclei.
D)The pars distalis.
E)The infundibular stalk.

Question 8

An example of a "short-loop" feedback loop is:

A)GH inhibition of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)
B)Cortisol inhibition of ACTH.
C)FSH inhibition of LH.
D)Estrogen inhibition of GnRH.
E)Somatostatin inhibition of GH.

Question 9

Hypothalamic releasing hormones are secreted from neuroendocrine neurons at:

A)The median eminence.
B)The pars distalis.
C)The paraventricular nucleus.
D)The pars nervosa.
E)The infundibular stalk.

Question 10

Pituitary glycoprotein hormones are heterodimers containing a common $\alpha$ subunit and a hormone-specific $\beta$ subunit.The glycoprotein hormones from the pituitary gland include:

A)TSH,GH,and LH.
B)Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG),TSH,and FSH.
C)Prolactin,GH,and ACTH.
D)FSH,LH,and TSH.
E)FSH,LH,and prolactin.