Human Anatomy & Physiology (Human Body Systems)

Unit 2: Unit 2: Communication (Nervous & Endocrine)HBS 2.2Human Body Systems: endocrine system

Relate hormones to their glands and target organs

Trace each hormone from the gland that makes it to the target organ it acts on.

Builds on (2 levels back)inferred · med confidence

A gland makes and releases a hormone: You must know that endocrine glands are the organs that produce hormones before you can trace a hormone from its source.
The blood carries hormones through the body: Hormones reach distant target organs by traveling in the bloodstream, so the circulatory route explains why a gland can act far from itself.

Prerequisites are inferred: pending teacher review.

Re-learn the skill with worked practice and clear examples.

To relate a hormone to its target, trace three things: the gland that makes it, the blood that carries it, and the target organ where it acts. Source, route, destination.

Step 1: Name the source

Each hormone has a specific gland that makes it. For example, the pancreas makes insulin, the thyroid gland makes thyroid hormone, and the adrenal glands make adrenaline.

Step 2: Follow the route

The gland releases the hormone into the blood, which carries it to every part of the body. Only the target organ has the right receptors to respond.

Step 3: Name the destination

The target organ is where the effect happens. Insulin's main targets are body cells (such as liver, muscle, and fat) that take up glucose. Matching gland → hormone → target organ is the WebXam skill (the state CTE end-of-course exam) for this lesson.

Practice

Insulin is released into the blood after a meal. Which row correctly matches the gland that makes it to the target it acts on?

Reviewed

Hormone	Gland that makes it	Target it acts on
Insulin	Pancreas	Body cells (liver, muscle, fat)
Insulin	Liver	Pancreas
Insulin	Thyroid gland	The brain only
Insulin	Adrenal gland	The stomach

A.Insulin: Liver: Pancreas
B.Insulin: Pancreas: Body cells (liver, muscle, fat)
C.Insulin: Thyroid gland: The brain only
D.Insulin: Adrenal gland: The stomach

Show the worked solution ▾

Answer: B. Insulin: Pancreas: Body cells (liver, muscle, fat)

Step 1: Find the source: Insulin is made by the pancreas, so the gland column must read 'Pancreas'.
Step 2: Find the target: Insulin acts on body cells: such as liver, muscle, and fat cells: to help them take up glucose.
Step 3: Pick the matching row: Only one row pairs the pancreas as the source with body cells as the target.

Why it's right: Insulin is made by the pancreas and acts on body cells (liver, muscle, fat) so they take up glucose, which is the only correctly matched row.

Why the others miss:

A: The liver is a target of insulin, not the gland that makes it.
C: The thyroid gland makes thyroid hormone, not insulin, and insulin's effect is not limited to the brain.
D: The adrenal gland makes adrenaline, not insulin, and the stomach is not insulin's main target.

Aligned to Human Body Systems: hormone to target organ · reading level ~grade 9

Where you'd see this

A clinician reading a hormone panel knows which gland to investigate: an abnormal thyroid hormone level points to the thyroid gland as the source, not to the target tissues.

Careers that use this

Endocrinologist: Traces an abnormal hormone level back to the gland that makes it and forward to the target organs showing symptoms.

Video library

Watch: Relate hormones to their glands and target organs

Endocrine System

Amoeba Sisters · 9 min

Guided notes

Fill these in as you work through the lesson.

Big idea: Each hormone is made by a specific gland, travels in the blood, and acts on a specific target organ: the gland is the source and the target organ is where the effect happens.

Key terms: write the meaning

Hormone (chemical messenger in the blood):
Gland (organ that makes the hormone):
Target organ (where the hormone has its effect):
Endocrine system (the glands and hormones together):
Insulin (hormone from the pancreas):

The rule

A hormone is made by a , travels through the , and produces its effect at its .

Check yourself

What is the difference between the gland that makes a hormone and the target organ it acts on?
Why can a gland in the neck affect an organ far away in the body?
Name one hormone, the gland that makes it, and the organ or cells it targets.

Work one example

Insulin is released into the blood when blood glucose is high. Identify the gland that makes insulin and the main target it acts on, and explain in one sentence how the hormone gets from one to the other.