1. How are hormones transported ?
Answer
In the blood.
2. Where do humans store excess glucose ?
Answer
In liver and muscle cells.
3. Name the main female reproductive hormone and state where it is produced.
Answer
Oestrogen produced in the ovaries.
4. Name the hormones produced by the adrenal glands and by the thyroid gland.
Answer
Adrenaline from adrenal glands and thyroxine from thyroid gland.
5. Some people have hypothyroidism, which is an underactive thyroid. This mean that their thyroid gland does not produce enough of the hormone thyroxine. Suggest how the body of a person with hypothyroidism would try to respond to control the level of thyroxine in the blood.
Answer
The low level of thyroxine would be detected by receptors and the body would respond by stimulating the thyroid gland to secrete more thyroxine to bring the level back to normal. This is an example of negative feedback.
6. Diabetes can be diagnosed using a glucose tolerance test. A person's blood glucose level is measured, then the person drinks a glucose drink and their blood glucose levels are measured at regular intervals. Describe what happens when a person who does have diabetes drinks a glucose drink.
Answer
Blood glucose level would rise more (or higher) and would take longer to return to normal.
7. A hormone called anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) is released by the pituitary gland when there is too little water in the blood. Explain how ADH can cause a change in the water content of the blood.
Answer
ADH increases the permeability of the kidney tubules so more water is reabsorbed back into the blood.
8. Kidney failure can be treated by organ transplant or by using kidney dialysis. Suggest advantages and disadvantages of the two treatments for kidney failure.
Answer
Organ transplants are permanent and allow a person to live a normal life, but there is a waiting list for organs, and someone must die for an organ to become available. There is also a risk that the kidney could be rejected. Dialysis removes urea from the blood and keeps the person alive, but it is time‑consuming and carries risks of infection and blood clots.
9. Suggest one reason why the contraceptive implant is more effective than the oral contraceptive pill.
Answer
Some people might forget to take the pill, whereas hormone levels in the blood remain more constant with an implant.
10. Describe how doctors use the mature eggs in IVF treatment.
Answer
The eggs are fertilised in the laboratory using sperm from the father. The fertilised eggs develop into embryos. One or more embryos are inserted into the mother’s uterus (womb) when they are tiny balls of cells.