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Hormones Gone Wild – 50 Informal Points
Introduction
The endocrine system releases hormones to maintain homeostasis and uses feedback to regulate
the levels of these chemical signals. Hormones help balance the amount of water in our body, the
amount of calcium in our blood and bones, and the amount of growth in cells and tissues. In your
study of diabetes, you learned that when there is a problem with the hormone insulin, the body has
trouble controlling blood sugar and maintaining homeostasis. Too much or too little of a hormone can
really throw off the body’s balance. And sometimes, this imbalance not only affects what goes on
inside, but affects what we see on the outside.
In this activity, you will act as an endocrinologist to solve a medical mystery. A troubled patient is
coming to you for advice. While doctors have been able to classify each of the strange symptoms he
has been experiencing for the past year, they cannot pinpoint how they all fit together. The endocrine
system is clearly malfunctioning, but doctors cannot find the source of the problem. It is your job to
investigate the hormones and glands of the endocrine system and use information you find to piece
together the clues provided by your patient and make a diagnosis.
Procedure
Part I: Making the Diagnosis
1. Read the patient notes for Lincoln Grant found below:
Lincoln is a 27 year-old man who has been experiencing strange medical symptoms over the past
year. He knows something is wrong, but doctors are having a hard time piecing together the clues.
Previous doctors’ notes report:
 Lincoln has noted a gradual enlargement of his body
tissue. He is long past puberty, but the bones of
his face and jaw seem to be growing thicker and
changing shape. Even his hands and feet look
larger.
 Lincoln has put on a considerable amount of weight
in the past year. His diet has not changed and he
still plays basketball two times a week with his
friends. He’s getting plenty of rest, but he still
feels sluggish.
 Lincoln and his wife have been trying to get
pregnant for over a year. Worried about their
chances, they decide to visit the doctor. Routine
lab tests reveal that Lincoln has an extremely low
sperm count.
Most recently, Lincoln has reported some problems with his vision. He has noticed that
images are blurry and that he sometimes sees double. Doctors are baffled by what
Lincoln is reporting. His varied symptoms make the overall cause of his problems hard to pinpoint, but
doctors are sure the answer lies in the endocrine system.
2. Fill in the table below as you investigate Lincoln’s symptoms:
Symptom
Possible Cause
Why is this a possible cause?
3. How could a problem with hormones of the endocrine system lead to Lincoln’s symptoms.
4.
Could he have too much of a hormone? Too little?
5. Is there a problem with a specific gland?
Yes, the pituitary gland.
6. His disorder may involve multiple hormones and glands. Describe patterns in Lincoln’s symptoms
in the space below:
7. List the hormone or glands that might be involved next to each symptom in the table below. List
the target organ(s) of these hormones.
Symptom
Hormones & Glands
Target Organ(s)
Gradual enlargement of
body tissue; face and
jaw bones growing
thicker and changing
shape; Hands and feet
look larger
Growth Hormone from Pituitary Gland
Bones
Weight Gain
Anti-Diuretic Hormone, also known as
vasopressin, from Adrenal Gland
Body cells such as skin and fat that retain
water
Sluggish
Thyroxine produced in thyroid, which is
stimulated by Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
(TSH) produced by the Pituitary Gland
Areas fat accumulates such as belly, hips,
thighs…
Low Sperm Count
Testosterone from the testes, which is
stimulated by Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
produced in the Pituitary Gland
Testes
Vision Problems
Tumor on Pituitary presses against optic
nerves
Optic Nerve affects eyes
Pituitary Adenoma is a Pituitary Tumor
8. Brainstorm connections between these hormones and write 3-5 sentences in the space below
giving your ideas.
9. Why might Lincoln be having vision problems?
10. In the space below give Lincoln’s diagnosis. Tell a story, linking all the pieces together.
Part II: The Powerful Pituitary
In Part I of the case, you learned that Lincoln most likely has a problem with his pituitary gland, specifically a
tumor in the anterior region. Although not much bigger than a raisin, the pituitary gland releases a total of nine
hormones, many of which trigger other endocrine glands to secrete hormones of their own. The pituitary gland
monitors body function and sends signals to other organs and glands to make adjustments and to maintain a
proper internal environment.
11. Take out your endocrine system graphic organizer from the last activity.
12. Use colored pencils or markers to draw and label the glands, target organs and hormones you have
investigated in Lincoln’s case. Begin with the pituitary gland. Use the same format you used to draw on
the organizer in the last activity. Make sure to draw an arrow from the gland to the target organs and write
the name of the hormone along the arrow.
13. Research additional hormones of the pituitary gland. Add these hormones to your graphic organizer and
list their function below:
Pituitary Gland Hormone
Function
Growth Hormone (GH)
Grows bones in the body
Thyroid Stimulating
Stimulates the thyroid to produce Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4), which
Hormone (TSH)
increases metabolic rate
Follicle-Stimulating
Causes an egg to be released during ovulation
Hormone (FSH)
Females: Triggers ovulation
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Males: Triggers testes to produce testosterone
14. Design and build a pituitary gland on your Maniken®. Use yellow clay to build this organ.
15. Research the connection between the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, another structure in the
brain. The hypothalamus and the pituitary form the chief link between the nervous and the endocrine
system. Take notes in the space below:
16. In the space below create a feedback loop that shows how the body regulates the level of thyroid
hormones in the body (and thus maintains normal metabolism). This loop must include the pituitary gland
and the hypothalamus as well as the names of important hormones. Make sure to show how hormones
exert feedback to maintain proper thyroid function. Draw arrows to and from important glands and
hormones. Think about how the levels of one hormone may impact the release (or lack thereof) of
another hormone.
17. Design and build a thyroid gland on your Maniken®. Use pink or red clay to build this gland.
Conclusion Questions
1. Describe an example that illustrates this statement: “Some hormones control the release of other
hormones.”
An example of the fact that some hormones control the release of other hormones is the
hypothalamus à pituitary à thyroid chain. The hypothalamus signals the pituitary to release
TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), which causes the thyroid to release thyroxin.
2. The pituitary gland is often called the “control center of the endocrine system.” Why do you think this is an
appropriate title?
Because it is from this gland that most of the body's hormones are released that cause other
glands in the endocrine system to release hormones.
3. Explain how Lincoln’s endocrine system disorder affected other body systems.
Lincoln's pituitary tumor seems to have caused hypothyroidism, which means that
the thyroids are not producing enough hormones. This can lead to lethargy (being
tired and sluggish) and weight gain, two of his symptoms. This is not really affecting
a particular system as it is his entire body, as his cells are not getting the energy they
need to sustain life and his body is producing and storing too much fat.
His tumor also seems to be causing a decrease in the release of LH to the gonads,
which is causing a decrease in testosterone, resulting in low sperm count. This is
obviously affecting his reproductive system.
It also seems that Lincoln's pituitary tumor is causing the pituitary to release extra growth
hormone (GH), which is causing Lincoln's body to begin growing again, even though he is a
full-grown adult. This has an effect on his skeletal system.
4. Explain the role the hypothalamus plays in regulating hormone action.
The hypothalamus is crucial in regulating hormone action. Everything basically begins with
the hypothalamus, because the hypothalamus controls the pituitary, which controls most
other glands in the endocrine system. So when the hypothalamus receives a signal from the
central nervous system, it either releases hormones to the pituitary or stimulates the
pituitary to make the hormones that get released into the bloodstream and affect other
glands in the endocrine system. This causes the other glands to release hormones as well,
and it has a top-down effect until the target body system / organ / cell is regulated.