Multiple Choice
Which structure is the primary link between the endocrine and nervous systems?
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16. The Endocrine System
The Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland
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In the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) released from the hypothalamus primarily targets which structure?
A
Thyroid gland follicular cells
B
Posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) pituicytes
C
Adrenal cortex zona fasciculata
D
Anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) thyrotrophs
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis: the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland.
Recall that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is secreted by the hypothalamus and acts on the pituitary gland to regulate thyroid function.
Identify the specific part of the pituitary gland that responds to TRH: the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis), which contains specialized cells called thyrotrophs.
Recognize that TRH stimulates thyrotrophs in the anterior pituitary to release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which then acts on the thyroid gland follicular cells.
Conclude that the primary target of TRH is the anterior pituitary thyrotrophs, not the thyroid gland directly or other structures like the posterior pituitary or adrenal cortex.
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