A child shows the following symptoms: deficient growth; failure to show sexual d

Question

A child shows the following symptoms: deficient growth; failure to show sexual development; decreased ability to respond to stress. What is the most likely cause of all these symptoms? If all the neural connections between the hypothalamus and pituitary were severed, the secretion of which pituitary hormones would be affected? Which pituitary hormones would not be affected? A person is receiving very large doses of a cortisol-like drug to treat her arthritis. What happens to her secretion of cortisol?

Explanation / Answer

Ans.1) When a child show symptoms like deficient growth, no sexual development and very less ability to deal stress is due to the deficiency of Growth Hormone. This deficiency occurs when the pituitary gland not able to produce sufficient growth hormone. It more commonly affects children than adults. Growth hormone is also known as somatropin and it is a polypeptide hormone which stimulates growth and cell reproduction. Its deficiency is often called as acquired growth hormone deficiency (AGHD).

2.) Basically pituitary gland manages the hypothalamus and if this connection is severed it would not be able to receive neural and endocrine signals from the hypothalamus. It will affect all the hormones secreted from brain and endocrine system.

3.) Cortisol is considered as a very effective drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis. A person who is suffering from arthritis has a defective hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis that is why a high dose of cortisol is prescribed to the patient.

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