Questions on Hormone Regulation
Multiple-Choice Questions: Hormone Characteristics & Regulation
1. Which of the following best describes a hormone?
A) A digestive enzyme released in the stomach
B) A chemical messenger secreted into ducts
C) A chemical messenger secreted into the bloodstream
D) A neurotransmitter found only in the spinal cord
E) A protein that breaks down fats
2. Hormones typically act on:
A) All cells of the body equally
B) Only blood cells
C) Target cells with specific receptors
D) Bones and muscles only
E) Brain cells only
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of hormones?
A) They act at distant target sites
B) They are secreted in large quantities continuously
C) They travel through the bloodstream
D) They bind to specific receptors
E) Their effects can be long-lasting
4. Steroid hormones are:
A) Water-soluble and act on surface receptors
B) Protein-based and short-acting
C) Fat-soluble and act inside the cell
D) Only active in the digestive system
E) Stored in vesicles before release
5. A negative feedback loop in hormonal regulation means:
A) A hormone is continuously secreted regardless of levels
B) Hormone secretion increases with no regulation
C) The effect of the hormone inhibits further release
D) One hormone blocks all other hormones
E) The hormone destroys its target cell
6. An example of positive feedback is:
A) Regulation of blood glucose
B) Thyroid hormone control
C) Oxytocin during childbirth
D) Cortisol regulation
E) Calcium homeostasis
7. The half-life of a hormone refers to:
A) How fast it travels through blood
B) The time needed for half of it to be secreted
C) The time required for half of it to be broken down
D) Its effectiveness on target cells
E) Its time of synthesis in the gland
8. Peptide hormones typically bind to:
A) DNA inside the nucleus
B) Ribosomes
C) Surface membrane receptors
D) Mitochondria
E) Cytosolic enzymes
9. Which of the following glands is regulated by both hormonal and neural stimuli?
A) Pancreas
B) Thyroid
C) Adrenal medulla
D) Parathyroid
E) Pineal
10. Hormones that regulate other endocrine glands are called:
A) Neurohormones
B) Inhibitory hormones
C) Tropic hormones
D) Autocrine agents
E) Secondary messengers
11. The hypothalamus controls hormone secretion from the:
A) Pineal gland directly
B) Posterior and anterior pituitary
C) Adrenal cortex
D) Thyroid gland directly
E) Thymus
12. Which mechanism helps stop hormone release when the desired effect is achieved?
A) Active transport
B) Signal amplification
C) Negative feedback
D) Enzymatic degradation
E) Osmosis
13. Hormonal secretion that occurs in short bursts is called:
A) Steady-state
B) Tonic release
C) Pulsatile secretion
D) Wave hormone signaling
E) Chronic release
14. Which of the following is an amino-acid derived hormone?
A) Estrogen
B) Testosterone
C) Cortisol
D) Epinephrine
E) Aldosterone
15. A hormone cascade refers to:
A) Hormones secreted at random
B) A sequence of hormonal activations
C) Blocking of hormone receptors
D) Enzymatic destruction of hormones
E) Hormones dissolving in fats
16. Which hormone regulation pathway involves hormones acting on the same cells that released them?
A) Paracrine
B) Autocrine
C) Endocrine
D) Exocrine
E) Intracrine
17. Hormones are secreted by:
A) Neurons only
B) Exocrine glands
C) Endocrine glands
D) Lymph nodes
E) Sweat glands
18. What determines a cell’s ability to respond to a hormone?
A) Its age
B) Its energy level
C) The presence of specific hormone receptors
D) Its size
E) The amount of oxygen it receives
19. The receptors for lipid-soluble hormones are usually found:
A) On the cell membrane
B) In the mitochondria
C) Floating in blood plasma
D) Inside the target cell
E) On ribosomes
20. Hormone regulation by neural stimuli often involves:
A) Gland response to pH
B) Direct nerve impulses
C) Autoimmune responses
D) Skin-based secretion
E) Liver detoxification
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Answers and Explanations
1. C – Hormones are chemical messengers secreted directly into the blood to affect distant target organs.
2. C – Only cells with receptors specific to a hormone will respond to its signal.
3. B – Hormones are not secreted constantly in large amounts; they are regulated and often secreted in bursts.
4. C – Steroid hormones are lipophilic, allowing them to enter cells and bind to intracellular receptors.
5. C – In a negative feedback loop, the result of a process inhibits its own continuation.
6. C – Oxytocin increases contractions, which cause more oxytocin to be released—a positive feedback mechanism.
7. C – The half-life of a hormone is the time it takes for half of the hormone to be removed or degraded.
8. C – Peptide hormones are water-soluble and bind to membrane receptors to activate internal cell responses.
9. C – The adrenal medulla is influenced by both hormones and nerve signals from the sympathetic nervous system.
10. C – Tropic hormones stimulate other endocrine glands to release their hormones.
11. B – The hypothalamus regulates both the anterior (via hormones) and posterior (via neurons) pituitary.
12. C – Negative feedback is the primary method for stopping hormone release when sufficient effect is achieved.
13. C – Pulsatile secretion involves periodic bursts of hormones rather than a constant release.
14. D – Epinephrine is derived from the amino acid tyrosine.
15. B – Hormone cascades involve a sequence where one hormone stimulates another gland to release a different hormone.
16. B – Autocrine signaling occurs when hormones act on the cells that released them.
17. C – Hormones are secreted by endocrine glands, not by exocrine glands or neurons (although some neurons can secrete neurohormones).
18. C – A cell must have the appropriate receptor to respond to a hormone.
19. D – Lipid-soluble hormones pass through the membrane and bind to receptors inside the target cell.
20. B – Neural stimuli involve direct nerve impulses triggering hormone release (e.g., adrenal medulla during stress).
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