AQA GCSE Biology (8461), Higher tier · Homeostasis and response › Hormonal coordination in humans
Practise Human endocrine system. 14 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Name the gland that releases adrenaline when a person is afraid or under stress.
Adrenal gland
A dog called Rex has a tumour on one of his adrenal glands. The tumour releases large amounts of a hormone directly into Rex's blood, even when Rex is not stressed or afraid. As a result, Rex has a fast heart rate and a high blood glucose concentration all the time. Name the hormone that the tumour is most likely releasing.
Adrenaline
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy6 marks
The human body is coordinated by the nervous system and by the endocrine system.
(a) What is a hormone? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
A cell that detects a change in the environment
A chemical carried in the blood that affects a target organ
An electrical impulse that travels along a neurone
An enzyme that is secreted into the gut
(b) Give two ways in which the effects of hormones are different from the effects of the nervous system.[2]
(c) Where in the body is the pituitary gland? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
In the brain
In the chest
In the lower abdomen
In the neck
(d) The pituitary gland is sometimes called the 'master gland'. Explain why.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: A chemical carried in the blood that affects a target organ
(b)Answer: Hormones act more slowly; their effects last longer
(hormones are) slower to act / take longer to produce an effect
(hormone) effects last longer
(c)Answer: In the brain
(d)Answer: It secretes several hormones that act on other glands and cause them to release their own hormones
it secretes (several) hormones (into the blood)
(these hormones) act on / stimulate other (endocrine) glands to release hormones
Question 2Medium5 marks
Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland in the brain. More melatonin is released when it gets dark, and melatonin makes a person feel sleepy.
(a) Describe how melatonin gets from the pineal gland to the organs that it affects.[2]
(b) A person wakes up in the night and switches on a bright light. The pineal gland stops releasing melatonin, but the person still feels sleepy for some time. Suggest why.[2]
(c) Melatonin affects several different organs, even though it is released by one small gland. Suggest why.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: It is secreted directly into the blood, which carries it to its target organs
it is secreted / released directly into the blood(stream)
it is carried (around the body) in the blood to its target organs
(b)Answer: The melatonin already released stays in the blood until it is broken down, so it keeps acting on its target organs; the effects of hormones last longer than those of nerve impulses
the melatonin already released remains in the blood for some time (until it is broken down / removed)
so it continues to act on its target organs (the effects of hormones last longer than those of nerve impulses)
(c)Answer: It is carried all around the body in the blood, and several organs have cells that respond to it
it is carried all around the body in the blood, and cells in several organs are able to respond to it (it has several target organs)
Question 3Hard6 marks
The human body coordinates its responses using both the nervous system and the endocrine system.
Compare how the nervous system and the endocrine system coordinate responses in the human body.[6]
Show the answer and mark scheme
Answer: Level 3 answers compare the type of signal, the speed and duration of the response, and the number of organs affected, using examples of each system
the nervous system uses electrical impulses that travel along neurones
the endocrine system uses hormones (chemical messengers) that travel in the blood
nerve impulses act very quickly (in a fraction of a second)
hormones act more slowly, because they must be carried in the blood to reach the target organ
nervous responses are usually short-lived
hormonal responses tend to last longer, because the hormone remains in the blood for some time
a nerve impulse usually acts on one precise organ or muscle
a hormone can act on more than one target organ, or a wide area of the body
example: a reflex action, such as pulling a hand away from something hot, uses the nervous system
example: the control of blood glucose concentration, or the menstrual cycle, uses hormones
Marked with levels of response: the full level descriptors are in the app.