The use of bovine growth hormone (BGH) to increase milk yield in dairy cows is highly controversial. What other hormone is regularly added to milk, yet causes little controversy?

Question

A.  vitamin A
B.  vitamin D
C.  MSG
D.  preservatives

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
What do you already know about hormones? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
 


Answer 1

B.  vitamin D

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · What hormone is added to milk?
What type of thinking is required?
            o This is an analyze question because you have to consider what is generally added to milk as well as the definition of a hormone.

Gather Content
What do you already know about hormones? What other information is related to the question?
        · Bovine growth hormone (BGH) has been given to cows to increase milk production and some of this hormone can end up in the milk. Vitamin D is also commonly added to milk since Vitamin D helps the intestinal absorption of calcium found in milk. What you may not know is that Vitamin D becomes a hormone after the addition of two hydroxyl groups. It is this hormone form of Vitamin D that promotes the absorption of calcium and other minerals from the intestines.

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · Both Vitamin A and D are added to milk. Vitamin A is added to replace loss when low-fat and reduced-fat milk is processed. Vitamin D is found naturally in milk, but milk is often fortified with additional Vitamin D to assist in the absorption of calcium. MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) is not added to milk but can be found naturally in many dairy products. Preservatives are not put in milk sold for public consumption. Instead, potential pathogens are controlled by a combination of heat treatment (pasteurization), refrigeration, and protection from light. So if Vitamin A and Vitamin D are the only answers that are actually added to milk, which one is a hormone (or a pre-hormone)? Vitamin D.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        · Answering this question correctly depended upon understanding which molecules are hormones, and which molecules are added to milk. If you got the answer correct, great! If not, where did you go wrong? Did you know that Vitamin A is added to milk so think that it was the correct answer?