Question

Which of the following hormones does not have a particular target organ in the body?
(a)Growth hormone
(b)TSH
(c)Oxytocin
(d)FSH

Answer 1

Hint Certain hormones secreted from the anterior pituitary do not have a particular target organ. It has a widespread effect on the body. It stimulates the growth of various body cells, promotes intestinal absorption, conservation of glucose, etc.

Complete answer:
The growth hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary has a widespread effect on the body. It does not have a particular target organ. It affects all cells of the body. It is also known as somatotropin or somatotrophic hormone. ‘Soma’ means body and ‘trophe’ means nourishment. It stimulates the growth of various body cells, promotes protein anabolism, absorption of calcium from the bowel, and conversion of glycogen to glucose. It regulates the growth of the body by promoting protein anabolism, intestinal absorption of calcium, conservation of glucose, etc. It helps in the synthesis and depositing of proteins, growth of long bones, and other parts of the skeleton. Pituitary or hypophysis is a small gland, seen very closely associated with the brain. It is placed in a depression of sphenoid bone, called sella turcica, and is connected to the hypothalamus of the brain by a stalk-like structure, called infundibular duct. The human pituitary has two lobes, anterior and posterior, known respectively as adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis. Both these are connected to the hypothalamus.

Additional Information:
-The anterior pituitary produces a large number of hormones that regulate the whole range of activities from growth to reproduction and development.
-The release of these hormones is stimulated or inhibited by corresponding hypothalamic hormones, generally called regulating factors.
-These factors constitute a link between the nervous system and the endocrine system. The former stimulates the release of pituitary hormones, and the latter inhibits their release.

So, the correct answer is 'Growth hormones'.

Note:
-Adenohypophysis is hormone-producing. But neurohypophysis only stores and then secretes the hormone produced by the hypothalamus.
-Adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis are ectodermal in origin. The former is derived from an embryonic invagination of pharyngeal epithelium whereas the latter is derived from an outgrowth of the hypothalamus.
-The anterior lobe is an endocrine gland and it contains hormone-secreting cells. The posterior lobe is not an endocrine gland.