Low Tech Research and Presentations
This time you will do all your research with the textbook. On the pages indicated, read about, and take
notes about each item in parentheses, draw the precise location of the endocrine organ, write about its
hormones, and hormone’s effects on the body, and what can go wrong. If you remember anything from
the presentation research you can add that info.
Draw and Write for each!
1. Hypothalamus and posterior pituitary (p.315, oxytocin, ADH, releasing hormone, relationship
between hypothalamus and posterior pituitary, the master gland)
The hypothalamus is an endocrine organ at the
bottom of the brain and is attached to the
posterior pituitary. Because it is part of the
brain, it is made of nerves and produces several
hormones. It is directly connected to the posterior
pituitary. The hypothalamus produces hormones
while the posterior pituitary pituitary stores the
hormones. The posterior pituitary does not
produce hormones, only secreting the ones that
came from the hypothalamus.
The hormones made are AntiDiuretic Hormone
(ADH) and oxytocin.
Oxytocin is secreted by the posterior pituitary
causes contractions during childbirth, milk
ejection while breastfeeding, or during sexual
intercourse.
Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) decreases urine production by causing the kidneys to reabsorb more
water from the forming urine. Diuretic means diluting urine by adding more water. Anti-diuretics
make sure your urine has less water. So ADH makes you produce less urine.
2. Anterior pituitary (pg.313-315, growth hormone, tropic/stimulating hormone, the master gland)
Anterior pituitary is the front lobe of the pituitary gland.
It produces growth hormone (GH) that causes bones and muscles to grow bigger.
It also produces various tropic/stimulating hormones. These stimulate the other endocrine organs
by causing them to secrete their own hormones.
One example of that is Luteining Hormone (LH). LH causes the testes to produce testosterone.
Another is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). TSH tells the thyroid to secrete thyroid hormone.
The anterior pituitary is called the master gland because it has so many tropic/stimulating hormones
that control and stimulate other endocrine organs when to secrete their hormones.
3. Pancreas (pg.324, insulin, glucagon, difference between type 1 and 2 diabetes, insulin resistance)
Pancreas makes two hormones that control the sugar (glucose) level in the blood. Insulin lowers
glucose levels in the blood by attaching to cells and making absorb the sugar in the blood.
Insulin hormone  blood sugar level decreases.
Glucagon is a hormone that does the opposite. It increases the glucose level in the blood.
In Type 1 diabetes insulin no longer is produced by the pancreas because the body’s own immune
system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. So this can be treated with
injections of insulin. It cannot be cured.
In type 2 diabetes, the cells no longer respond to insulin and doesn’t take in the glucose in the blood.
This is called insulin resistance. Resist = Not responding. Exercise and diet can cure type 2 diabetes
by reversing insulin resistance so the body’s cells start to respond to insulin again and absorb glucose.
4. Thyroid (pg.317, thyroid hormone, metabolism/energy burning, [TSH, TRH optional])
The thyroid secrets the thyroid hormones. It tells the cells in the body to burn glucose energy. This is
called metabolism. Every cell in the body needs thyroid hormone to make it use up glucose energy for
the cell’s various activities.
5. Parathyroid (pg.319, parathyroid hormone, calcium levels in the blood)
The parathyroid gland secretes parathyroid hormone. This causes your bones to break down its
calcium matrix so that the calcium will be released into the blood. Your muscles and other cells need
the calcium. Whenever the body’s cells need more calcium, parathyroid hormone is secreted so that
more calcium will be in the blood from the bones and can get to the other cells that need them.
6. Adrenal cortex*/ medulla** (pg.320-323, glucocorticoids*, long-term stress*, epinephrine**, shortterm stress**)
Adrenal cortex is the outer part of the adrenal gland. Under long-term stress (such as not being able
to sleep for a few weeks), the adrenal cortex responds by secreting glucocorticoids. These
glucocorticoids cause fats and proteins to break down and change into glucose, which your body will
need when under long-term stress.
Adrenal medulla is the inner part of the adrenal gland. Under short-term stress (such as immediate
danger when you see a bear running towards you), the adrenal medulla secretes the hormone
epinephrine, aka adrenaline. Epinephrine increases heart rate, improves blood flow, increase sugar
level in blood, and allows you to get more oxygen from your lungs. All of this allows you to deal with a
fight (such as fighting the bear) or flight (such as running away from the bear) and deal with that shortterm stress. This is called the fight-or-flight response.
7.Testes (pg.327, testosterone, LH, sperm production)
Testes are male gonads, located in the scrotum. They produce and secrete male sex hormone, called
testosterone. Testosterone causes male sex characteristics to develop, such as muscle growth, facial
hair, deepening of the voice, and production of sperm.
Luteinizing hormone (LH) comes from the anterior pituitary. It causes the testes to produce
testosterone. Therefore LH indirectly can influence sperm production as well as development of other
male characteristics.
8. Ovaries and placenta (pg.327, 330, estrogen, progesterone, hCG, lining of the uterus)
Ovaries are the female gonads (sex organs that produce hormones).
Ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Estrogen cause the development of female sex characteristics, such as widening of the hips, breast
development, and changes in the lining (walls) of the uterus during the menstrual cycle.
Progesterone also causes changes in the lining of the uterus to prepare it for the developing baby.
When the baby is developing, it receives its nourishment from the placenta. The placenta secretes the
hormone hCG, which causes the ovaries to continue to produce progesterone so that the uterus lining
stays thick and keeps the baby in the uterus.