1

Hormones
Secretion is
Secretion is carried out by glands. There are two main categories of gland.
Endocrine Gland

Exocrine Gland

Endocrine Glands
On the diagram below identify some of the organs of the endocrine system and name
some of the hormones they secrete.

Hormones fall into two catagories:

Type of molecule
Can it pass through
a membrane?
Location of receptor
Examples

What is a hormone?
What is a target tissue?
Adrenaline
1. Where are the adrenal glands?
2. What chemical is used to produce catecholamine hormones in the adrenal
glands?
3. What general effect does adrenaline have on the body?
4. What are the target tissues of adrenaline and how do they respond?
Target Tissue
Response

5. How does the hormone reach its target tissues?

6. Hormones, derived from amino acids, such as adrenaline (but also insulin and
glucagon) cannot pass through the cell membrane because..
7. So, how does the hormone cause an effect inside the cell? Draw a series of
diagrams to show the events that occur once adrenaline reaches a cell in a
target tissue. Clearly label and name the first messenger and second
messenger and explain their roles.

When adrenaline binds with the

receptor, the receptor protein
changes shape and it interacts
another protein in the
membrane called the

This .. then
splits and part of it combines
with the inactive enzyme,
activating it.
As a result is
converted to .

The adrenal cortex produces different types of hormones, called STEROID

hormones.
8. What chemical is used by the adrenal cells to produce these hormones?
9. Give 3 types of steroid hormones, two produced by the adrenal and one other
Hormone type

Target Organ

Adrenal cortex
Adrenal cortes

Effect

10.
Suggest with reasons how these hormones enter the cells of their target
organ

The Pancreas
1. Label the diagram below showing a section through a pancreas.

2. Describe and explain how the ultrastructure of alpha and beta cells in the islets
of Langerhans is specialised to manufacture and secrete peptide hormones.

3. The pancreas has both exocrine and endocrine functions. Explain what is meant
by this, illustrating you answer with examples of these functions.

4. Complete the following diagram, showing how we are able to control blood sugar levels. Name the organ(s) where each
stage occurs.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Rise in
blood
glucose
concentrati
on

Normal blood glucose concentration: mg.100cm-3 or mmol.dm-3

Fall in
blood
glucose
concentrati
on

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

What is negative feedback?

Why is the control of blood sugar an example of negative feedback?

8

Glucose
concentrati
on falls
Glucose
concentrati
on
increases

16.
17.

Define the following terms (N.b. one is NOT a real term)

18.

Te

19.

rm
25.

gl
ucose
29.
gl
ycogen
33.
gl
ucagon
37.
gl
ucogen
41.
gl
ucose
phosph
ate
45.
gl
ucokina
se
49.
gl
ycogene
sis
53.
gl
ycogeno
lysis
57.
gl
uconeo
genesis
61.
gl
ycogen
synthas
e
65.
gl
ycosidic
bond
69.
G
LUT4
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.

Definition

20. Occurs
when
blood
glucose
concentra
tion is
23.
24.
too
too

26.

27.

28.

30.

31.

32.

34.

35.

36.

38.

39.

40.

42.

43.

44.

46.

47.

48.

50.

51.

52.

54.

55.

56.

58.

59.

60.

62.

63.

64.

66.

67.

68.

70.

71.

72.

87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
Complete the flow chart and add numbers to the diagram to show how
insulin secretion by beta cells is regulated.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.

10

124.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
125.

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126.

Diabetes

127.
1 Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) is one of the most common metabolic disorders in the developed world. There
are two types, type 1 (previously called insulin-dependent [juvenile] diabetes mellitus) and type 2 (previously
called non-insulin dependent [maturity onset] diabetes mellitus). Distinguish clearly between these two forms.
Include possible causes for these disorders. How do the treatments for the two types differ?

Some symptoms for the two types of diabetes are the same. What are they?

3 People with diabetes must eat meals frequently because they have little or no glycogen in the liver to be mobilised.
Explain why people with diabetes will have very low glycogen reserves in the liver.

4 Why is insulin injected and not taken by mouth?

5 What are the advantages of using genetic engineering in the treatment of diabetics?

128.

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129.

Complete the labels, explaining the reasons for the shape of the curves

13

130.

6. How could stem cell technology be used to not just treat, but to cure Diabetes?

Now Answer SAQ 5 and 7 from Chap 3 P 35 and 37

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131. Review Questions

132.

Hormones

1. Many hormones have a very short life span in the body. After secretion, they are broken down by enzymes in the
blood or cells or are lost in the urine. Insulin lasts for about 1015 minutes and adrenaline for about 13 minutes. In a
frightening situation, the heart rate increases and this could last for several minutes or even hours. If the adrenaline is
so short lived, how do you think its effect can continue for so long?
133.

2. Hormones travel through the body in blood and only affect target tissues, because these have the correct receptors
that are specific to the hormone. The receptors for protein (polypeptide) hormones are on the plasma membranes of
target tissue cells and those for steroid hormones are on the inside of the cells in the cytoplasm. What makes receptors
specific for a particular hormone?
134.
135.
136.
3. Polypeptide hormones do not pass into the cells of their target tissues but steroid hormones do. They also pass into
the nucleus of the target cells and switch on a gene. Explain why steroid hormones can easily pass through the plasma
membrane while protein hormones cannot.
137.
138.
4. The pancreas is a double gland because it has exocrine and endocrine functions.
What is the exocrine secretion of the pancreas and where does this secretion go?
139.
What are the endocrine secretions of the pancreas?
140.
141.

secretion

142.

Where produced

143.

144.

145.

146.

147.

148.

149.

function

150.

5.After a meal containing carbohydrate, glucose from the digested food is absorbed from the small intestine into the
blood, raising the blood glucose level. As the blood flows through the pancreas, the and cells of the islets of
Langerhans detect the raised glucose level. The cells respond by ceasing to produce glucagon and the cells
respond by producing insulin. Insulin is carried around the body in the blood and affects many cells but particularly
the cells in the liver and muscles.
State three effects of insulin on these cells.

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6. As a result of these processes, glucose is removed from the blood and so the blood glucose level drops. This drop
acts as a stimulus and is detected by the and cells of the islets of Langerhans. The cells respond by secreting
glucagon and the cells respond by stopping secretion of insulin. The reduced level of insulin reduces the rate of
uptake of glucose into cells and the raised level of glucagon affects liver cells. State three effects of glucagon on
liver cells.

7 What is the resulting effect upon the blood glucose level?

151.
8 Complete the labelling on Fig. 6.5.1 which shows how insulin secretion is controlled.

152. Fig 6.5.1

9 The control of blood glucose concentration uses a negative feedback mechanism. What are the receptors for this
control mechanism?
153.
What are the effectors in this control mechanism?
154.
155.

156.
157.
158.
159.
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160.

Past Question

161.
1.
The pancreas contains endocrine tissue. The figure below shows an
electronmicrograph of a section of pancreatic endocrine tissue.
n u c le u s

162.
163.
164.

r o u g h e n d o p la s m ic r e t ic u lu m

c e ll m e m b r a n e

b e t a c e ll s e c r e t o r y v e s ic le

m ito c h o n d r ia n

a lp h a c e ll s e c r e t o r y v e s ic le

x 30000

(a) Name the endocrine tissue shown in the figure.

.........................................................................................................................
165.[1]

166.
167.
168.

(b) Name the hormone present in the secretory vesicles of alpha cells.
.........................................................................................................................
169.[1]

170.

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171.

(c) During vigorous exercise, the blood glucose concentration falls.

172.
Describe the changes that take place to make sure that the blood glucose concentration
does not fall to a dangerous level.
173.

In your answer, you should use appropriate technical terms, spelled correctly.

174.

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175.

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176.

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177.

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178.

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179.

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180.

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181.

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182.

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183.

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184.

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185.

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186.

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187.

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188.

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189.

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190.[6]
191.[Total 8 marks]

192.
193.

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