Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main difference in the speed of communication between the nervous system and the endocrine system?

Accepted Answer

The nervous system is faster because it uses action potentials and neurotransmitters, while the endocrine system relies on hormones traveling through the blood.

Question 2

A hormone is released by a gland and travels through the bloodstream to affect distant target cells. What type of signaling is this?

Accepted Answer

Endocrine

Question 3

Which of the following is a correct statement about target cells in the endocrine system?

Accepted Answer

Target cells are defined as cells that possess a receptor that binds a particular hormone.

Question 4

Insulin lowers blood sugar by acting on cells throughout the body. Based on its mechanism of action, which type of hormone is insulin most likely to be?

Accepted Answer

Amino acid-based hormone, because it is water-soluble and acts on receptors on the cell surface.

Question 5

Which of the following best explains why steroid hormones require transport proteins in the blood?

Accepted Answer

Transport proteins make steroid hormones temporarily water soluble.

Question 6

A neurotransmitter released at a synapse diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. This is an example of which type of signaling?

Accepted Answer

Paracrine

Question 7

Which of the following statements correctly identifies a difference between the endocrine system and other body systems?

Accepted Answer

The organs of most other systems are typically connected or in close proximity, while the endocrine system is distributed throughout the body.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a function controlled by hormones in the endocrine system?

Accepted Answer

Voluntary muscle contraction

Question 9

Estrogen is a steroid hormone. Which of the following is true about how estrogen interacts with its target cell?

Accepted Answer

It binds to a receptor inside the cell, often in the nucleus.

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the mechanism by which amino acid-based hormones typically exert their effects?

Accepted Answer

They bind to receptors on the cell surface, triggering a second messenger cascade.

Question 11

A patient is given a drug that blocks all cell surface hormone receptors. Which hormone's action would be most directly affected?

Accepted Answer

Insulin

Question 12

Which of the following best explains why the effects of the endocrine system are generally longer-lasting than those of the nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Hormones are broken down more slowly than neurotransmitters.

Question 13

Which of the following is a correct pairing of hormone and its primary function?

Accepted Answer

Insulin: lowers blood sugar

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the role of the hypothalamus in the endocrine system?

Accepted Answer

It produces hormones that regulate the pituitary gland.

Question 15

A patient with a tumor in the adrenal cortex is found to have elevated blood cortisol levels. Which of the following symptoms would you most likely expect?

Accepted Answer

Increased blood sugar and suppressed immune response

Question 16

Which of the following statements about hormone structure is correct?

Accepted Answer

Amino acid-based hormones are generally water-soluble.

Question 17

Which of the following is a correct example of paracrine signaling?

Accepted Answer

A cell releasing a chemical that acts on neighboring cells in the same tissue.

Question 18

Which of the following equations best represents the general relationship between hormone concentration ($[H]$), receptor number ($R$), and cellular response ($CR$)?

Accepted Answer

$CR = [H] 	imes R$

Question 19

A patient is unable to produce antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Which of the following physiological effects would you expect?

Accepted Answer

Increased urine output and risk of dehydration

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why the stomach is not usually considered an organ of the endocrine system, even though it produces hormones like ghrelin?

Accepted Answer

The stomach's primary function is digestion, and its hormone production is not its main role.

Endocrine System: Chemical Messengers and Hormones

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