1. 1
   A student is startled by a sudden loud noise and notices their heart rate and breathing rate increase, their pupils widen and they feel more alert. This 'fight or flight' response is coordinated by a hormone released directly into the bloodstream by an endocrine gland.

   (a)

   Which gland releases this hormone?

   [1 mark]

   • AThe pancreas
   • BThe adrenal glands
   • CThe testes
   • DThe ovaries

   (b)

   Which of these is a definition of a hormone?

   [1 mark]

   • AAn electrical impulse carried along a neurone
   • BA protein that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up
   • CA chemical substance, produced by a gland and carried by the blood, that alters the activity of specific target organs
   • DA junction between two neurones

   (c)

   Describe two effects of adrenaline on the body during the 'fight or flight' response described above.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 1: 4 marks

2. 2
   A patient touches a hot object and withdraws their hand almost instantly, a nervous response, while several seconds pass before adrenaline released during a separate stressful event raises the patient's heart rate, a hormonal response. A doctor explains the differences between nervous and hormonal coordination.

   (a)

   A patient touches a hot object and withdraws their hand within a fraction of a second, a much faster response than the several seconds it takes for a hormone such as adrenaline to raise the heart rate after a stressful event. Which feature of nervous control explains why it acts faster than hormonal control?

   [1 mark]

   • ANerve impulses travel electrically along neurones directly to the effector, whereas hormones must travel more slowly in the blood
   • BHormones are made of protein, which travels faster than an electrical impulse
   • CNervous responses only affect the brain, not muscles
   • DHormonal responses do not require a gland to release a chemical

   (b)

   The doctor explains that although the nervous response is faster, the hormonal response released during the stressful event continues to affect the body for longer. Which statement correctly compares the duration of nervous and hormonal responses?

   [1 mark]

   • ANervous responses are usually longer-lasting than hormonal responses
   • BNeither type of response has any measurable duration
   • CBoth types of response always last exactly the same length of time
   • DHormonal responses are usually longer-lasting than nervous responses

   (c)

   Compare nervous and hormonal control in terms of the speed of action and the duration of the effect.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 2: 4 marks

3. 3
   A biology teacher lists four endocrine glands (adrenal glands, pancreas, testes and ovaries) and asks students to identify the hormones each secretes and to explain the role of the pancreas in controlling blood glucose concentration using two of its hormones.

   (a)

   A biology teacher lists four endocrine glands: the adrenal glands, the pancreas, the testes and the ovaries. Name the main hormone secreted by each of the testes and the ovaries, and state one role of each hormone in the body.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Explain the roles of insulin and glucagon, both secreted by the pancreas, in controlling blood glucose concentration.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 3: 7 marks

4. 4
   A patient with Type 1 diabetes has a pancreas that produces very little insulin, while a separate patient with adrenal gland tumours is found to secrete abnormally high levels of adrenaline even when not under stress.

   (a)

   Explain the consequences of insufficient insulin production for the patient's blood glucose concentration, and describe how Type 1 diabetes is typically treated.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   The patient with an adrenal gland tumour secretes abnormally high levels of adrenaline continuously, even when not under stress. Explain, using your knowledge of the normal role of adrenaline, why this patient might experience a persistently raised heart rate, raised blood glucose concentration and increased alertness.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 4: 12 marks

End of questions