Hormonal Communication | OCR A-Level Biology A (H420)
Hormonal Communication
- 47 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Module 5: Communication, homeostasis and energy
- Component 01 and Component 03
Hormonal communication is the fourth section of Module 5.
It covers how a hormone reaches its target and why only some cells respond, the adrenal glands and their hormones, the islets of Langerhans and the control of blood glucose by insulin and glucagon, and the two types of diabetes and how they are treated.
Sample questions from Hormonal Communication
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Hormones and the adrenal glands
What are the two distinct regions of the adrenal gland?
Show the answer
The outer cortex and the inner medulla. -
Hormones and the adrenal glands
What are the functions of glucocorticoids such as cortisol?
Show the answer
They regulate metabolism and the immune response, and help the body respond to stress. -
The pancreas and the islets of Langerhans
Which cells in the islets of Langerhans secrete glucagon?
Show the answer
Alpha cells. -
The pancreas and the islets of Langerhans
What are delta cells in the islets of Langerhans?
Show the answer
Cells that secrete somatostatin, which inhibits the release of both insulin and glucagon. -
Controlling blood glucose
What happens when blood glucose concentration falls below the set point?
Show the answer
Alpha cells detect the fall and secrete glucagon. -
Controlling blood glucose
Explain the sequence of events in a beta cell from glucose entry to insulin secretion.
Show the answer
Glucose enters and is metabolised to produce ATP → ATP closes potassium channels → membrane depolarises → voltage-gated calcium channels open → calcium ions enter → calcium triggers exocytosis of insulin-containing vesicles. -
Diabetes and its treatment
State four risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes.
Show the answer
Obesity, lack of exercise, age, and genetic predisposition. -
Diabetes and its treatment
State three advantages of using insulin produced by genetically modified bacteria compared to animal-derived insulin.
Show the answer
Large-scale production is possible, there is a lower risk of allergic reactions, and it is an exact match to human insulin.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Hormones and the adrenal glands | How an endocrine gland signals at a distance and why only target cells respond, and the mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and adrenaline the adrenal glands secrete. | 13 |
| The pancreas and the islets of Langerhans | The exocrine and endocrine tissue of the pancreas, the alpha and beta cells of the islets, and how the islets appear in a stained section. | 10 |
| Controlling blood glucose | The negative feedback loop between insulin and glucagon, glycogenesis and glycogenolysis in the liver, and the events inside a beta cell from glucose entry to insulin release. | 13 |
| Diabetes and its treatment | What causes Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and the risk factors involved, how each is treated, and the use of genetically modified bacteria and of stem cells. | 11 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby sections
OCR A-Level Biology A Active Recall Guide
Every section, not just this one. 1,833 questions with their answers.