1. Module 2

1.20. Lesson 3

Lesson 3

Module 2—The Endocrine System

Lesson 3—the Adrenal Gland

 

Get Focused

 

When you studied the sympathetic nervous system in Module 1, you learned about the fight-or-flight response, which refers to the tendency in stressful situations to run away or stay and work through the situation. Imagine watching a horror movie and anticipating the feeling of being scared out of your skin. If your life were a horror movie, you would constantly be on edge—anxious and just waiting to be scared. Life would be a constant adrenaline rush. How long do you think you could last like that?

 

Emily’s life is like a never-ending horror movie. Tiny tumours in and on her adrenal glands cause the glands to overproduce epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. These are hormones that combat both short-term and long-term stress. As a result, Emily’s body, left untreated, prepares itself for the fight-or-flight response all the time.

 

In this lesson you will explore the following focusing question:

  • How do the adrenal glands and their secretions affect the body?

 

The fight-or-flight responses prepare the body for anticipated danger. The hypothalamus activates many glands, including the pituitary, which releases norepinephrine and adrenocorticotropic hormone. These hormones then target various structures of the body to prepare for flight or fight. For example, the pupils dilate for better vision and the bronchioles dilate for deeper breathing.

 

Module 2: Lesson 3 Assignment

 

Download a copy of the Module 2: Lesson 3 Assignment to your computer now. You will receive further instructions about how to complete this assignment later in the lesson.

 

You must decide what to do with the questions that are not marked by the teacher.

 

Remember that these questions provide you with the practice and feedback that you need to successfully complete this course. You should respond to all the questions and place those answers in your course folder.

 

The assignment that you will submit to your teacher for assessment involves questions about the adrenal gland and homeostasis. In your response you will use feedback loops, flow charts, tables, and Venn diagrams.

 

This lesson is devoted entirely to the study of the adrenal gland. The concepts are significant in Biology 30. While you are completing this lesson, there will be many opportunities for you to acquire, understand, and practise the concepts that are presented to you. As you complete these activities, as well as your summary notes, you will file everything in your course folder to reference when you are preparing for exams.

 

Remember you also have the option of trying additional questions from the textbook for further practice. Consult with your teacher for the answers to these questions. The Key will also provide you with many Diploma Exam-style multiple-choice, numerical-response, and written-response questions that will be an excellent review of the module. Practising your responses to these types of questions is good preparation for the Diploma Exam.