The anterior pituitary gland is controlled by which three types of signals? (Check three.)

Question

_____  direct axonal connections from the hypothalamus
_____  negative feedback from its own hormones
_____  negative feedback from hormones secreted by the thyroid, adrenal cortex, and gonads
_____  positive feedback from its own hormones
_____  positive feedback from hormones secreted by the pancreas, heart, and skin
_____  releasing hormones secreted by the hypothalamus

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 the anterior pituitary gland? 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

_____  direct axonal connections from the hypothalamus
__X__  negative feedback from its own hormones
__X__  negative feedback from hormones secreted by the thyroid, adrenal cortex, and gonads
_____  positive feedback from its own hormones
_____  positive feedback from hormones secreted by the pancreas, heart, and skin
__X__  releasing hormones secreted by the hypothalamus

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · What regulates anterior pituitary hormones?
What type of thinking is required?
            o This is an analyze question because you have to understand different mechanisms of hormonal regulation and distinguish between different potential mechanisms for the anterior pituitary.

  Gather Content
What do you already know about the anterior pituitary gland? What other information is related to the question?
        · The anterior pituitary gland, also known as the adenohypophysis, releases a number of hormones including adrenocorticotropic hormone, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, growth hormone, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-simulating hormone. The anterior pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus via production and secretion of releasing or inhibiting hormones. Both the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland are controlled via negative feedback by the same hormones that they secrete, as well as hormones from peripheral glands such as the thyroid, adrenal cortex, and gonads.

  Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · Applying what you know, you can discount the answer stating that there are direct axonal connections from the hypothalamus. The anterior pituitary, which is derived from a pouch of epithelial tissue that pinches off from the roof of the embryo’s mouth, is not directly connected to the brain like the posterior pituitary gland is. You also know that the anterior pituitary gland is negatively regulated by a number of hormones, so do not select answers referring to positive feedback. Besides negative feedback from its own hormones and peripheral hormones, the anterior pituitary is controlled by releasing and inhibiting hormones secreted by the hypothalamus.

  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?
        o Answering this question correctly depended upon understanding the multiple pathways of regulation for the anterior pituitary gland. If you selected the three correct answers, great! If not, what went wrong? Did you confuse positive and negative feedback? Did you remember that the anterior pituitary is controlled by the hypothalamus and think that the control was via neurons instead of via hormones produced by the hypothalamus?