Name__________________________________________
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM LAB
The endocrine system contains some of the most elegant and mysterious mechanisms of all the body systems. The
endocrine system controls reproduction, growth and development, body defenses, metabolic processes, and blood
chemistry. Hormones circulate in the blood until reaching the target organs upon which they are designed to act, where
they bind with the awaiting cells and immediately begin to influence the internal machinery of those cells.
Objectives:
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Observe the microscopic anatomy of the major endocrine glands.
Identify the major endocrine glands and the hormones they secrete.
Learn the target organs and actions of the major hormones.
Read and understand current research on the endocrine system.
You will be answering questions on the answer sheet and making sketches on a separate sheet of paper. Use your
textbook and other resources to help find answers.
SLIDES TO VIEW, SKETCH, AND LABEL (on separate sheet of paper)
1. PITUITARY GLAND. View the pituitary gland at low (100x) and high (400x) magnification. At low magnification, sketch
the overall gland and label the anterior and posterior regions. At high magnification, sketch and label what you see
at this magnification.
2. THYROID GLAND. View the thyroid gland at low (100X) magnification. Sketch and label a follicle surrounded by ccells (parafollicular cells). C-cells produce calcitonin.
3. PARATHYROID GLAND. View the parathyroid gland at low and high magnification. Sketch and label what you see at
both magnifications.
4. ADRENAL GLAND. View the adrenal gland at medium and high magnification. At medium magnification, sketch and
label what you see.
5. Draw sketches of an exocrine gland and an endocrine gland and label them. From what tissue are they derived?
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GENERAL QUESTIONS
1. Label the endocrine glands in this diagram.
2. Contrast amine, peptide, and steroid hormones in terms of their molecular structure, and an example of each.
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3. In general, what is the function of the endocrine system?
4. Explain a negative feedback system in five or six steps. What is positive feedback? When would this occur in the
human body?
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PITUITARY
1. For each target gland/tissue in the figure below, name the correct anterior pituitary hormone that acts on it.
2. Name the two hormones secreted by the posterior pituitary and state their functions.
3. Both the anterior and posterior pituitary glands release hormones, but the posterior pituitary is not a true
endocrine gland. What is it?
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4. The pituitary is often referred to as a master gland, but what is its master? Describe the relationship between
the pituitary and this other “master.’
THYROID AND PARATHYROID
1. Which hormone increases blood calcium levels? Where is it produced?
2. Which hormone reduces blood calcium levels? Where is it produced?
3. How are the thyroid and parathyroid glands linked anatomically?
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4. Where, specifically, do Americans obtain most of the iodine they need for proper thyroid function?
5. To what does the Latin root “para” refer?
ADRENAL
1. Name and describe the functions of the three major groups of steroid hormones the adrenal cortex produces.
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2. List the three hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex and the main functions of each. Which one do the
gonads in men also secrete?
3. List the two hormones of the adrenal medulla involved in the stress response.
4. Potentially, what are five results of long-term stress?
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5. Read the Science News article below and summarize the connection between the nervous systems and the
endocrine system as explained.
Science News Brain’s Support Cells Play Role in Hunger
6. Make a concept map showing how the endocrine system connects to the cardiovascular system, the digestive
system, and the urinary system.
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