Q 01/05

Endocrine glands release their hormones directly into what?

A) The bloodstream

B) Ducts

C) The digestive tract

D) The skin surface

Answer · why

A) The bloodstream

The bloodstream: endocrine glands have no ducts, so their hormones travel in the blood to reach target organs far away.

Q 02/05

Which organs make most of a woman's estrogen before menopause?

A) Uterus

B) Ovaries

C) Adrenal glands

D) Pituitary gland

Answer · why

B) Ovaries

Ovaries: as their hormone output winds down at menopause, estrogen falls and bone loss speeds up, raising osteoporosis risk.

Q 03/05

Which medical specialty treats diabetes, thyroid disorders and other hormone diseases?

A) Hematology

B) Nephrology

C) Endocrinology

D) Immunology

Answer · why

C) Endocrinology

Endocrinology: an early landmark came in 1849, when Arnold Berthold showed that transplanted testes restored castrated roosters' male traits.

Q 04/05

Which of these hormones is secreted by the thyroid?

A) Thyrotropin

B) Growth hormone

C) Testosterone

D) Thyroxine

Answer · why

D) Thyroxine

Thyroxine: it helps set the body's metabolic rate, so too little of it leaves people tired, cold and gaining weight.

Q 05/05

Which hormone does the pineal gland secrete?

A) Melatonin

B) Thyroxine

C) Cortisol

D) Glucagon

Answer · why

A) Melatonin

Melatonin: the gland releases the most in darkness, and light exposure cuts its production, which is how it tracks night and day.