UCSB MCDB 1B EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2026 RATED A+
What does an anabolic steroid act like and how does it do so? - correct answer -it acts like
testosterone by affecting/altering gene expression
What are risks associated with anabolic steroids? - correct answer -increased risk for cancer,
kidney, heart, and liver diseases (kchld)
What are some effects/responsibilities of testosterone? This is the "nucleus affecting"
hormone..... - correct answer -1) male secondary characteristics (ex: deep voice, facial and body
hair)
2) increased bone and muscle mass
How does testosterone affect women? - correct answer -it can lead to a decrease in the amount
of breast tissue
What kind of time scale do hormones operate on? - correct answer -seconds to days
What kind of bodily processes are hormones normally responsible for? - correct answer -used
for physiological processes, a "slow" communication between distant cells in the body
What would a hormone not be useful for? - correct answer -in a case where a rapid reaction is
necessary, that's where the nervous system would come into play
What are endocrine cells responsible for? What part of the body do they affect? - correct
answer -endocrine cells are responsible for secreting hormones into the interstitial space/ or
the blood stream. Think of endo (inside)
,What are exocrine cells responsible for? What part of the body do they affect? - correct answer
-exocrine cells secrete substances into ducts that are connected to the outside world. (ex:
digestive track) think of the exo (exit, outside)
Epithelial cells... - correct answer -line the outside world
What is the difference between an autocrine and paracrine hormone? - correct answer -
autocrine directly affects the cell secreting the hormone itself, as to where paracrine affects
cell(s) in the immediate vicinity. Also, these are both considered local hormones
What is an endocrine hormone? - correct answer -one that affects distant cells via the blood
stream
What purpose do the endocrine glands serve? - correct answer -the endocrine glands are used
to secrete circulating hormones. This means they secrete distant hormones that need to travel
to cells in other parts of the body.
What must be present in a cell for the hormone message to create a response within the cell(s)?
- correct answer -one of the proper receptors must be found within the cell. It's important to
keep in mind that a hormone can respond to more than one type/specific receptor
How does a hormone react throughout the body? (does it have the same effect on all cells in
the body) - correct answer -a single hormone can have different effects on different cells in
different part of the body. It depends on the type of receptor that is present.
What does epinephrine cause the body to do? - correct answer --fight or flight response
- the heart beats faster and more fatty acids are released into the blood stream from fat tissue
in order to provide more energy
- restricted blood flow to certain parts of the body such as the gut and other muscles that aren't
"escape muscles"
,- glycogen in the liver is broken down to produce energy
What happens when epinephrine binds to the b-2 receptor? - correct answer -cyclic amp levels
increase (think beta is lower than the alpha so it wants to rise)
What happens when epinephrine binds to the a-2 receptor? - correct answer -there is a
reduction in cyclic amp levels, (just remember the opposite of the b-2 case scenario)
What are the 3 hormone groups? - correct answer -1) peptides/proteins
2) steroid hormones
3) amine hormones
What are the important qualities of peptide/protein hormones? - correct answer -- they are
water soluble and need to be transported by vesicles out of the cell that they're made in by
exocytosis.
- membrane impermeable
What are important qualities of steroid hormones? (solubility, membrane permeability, do they
need a carrier protein) - correct answer -- they are fat/lipid soluble
- membrane permeable
- have to be bound to carrier proteins when in the blood stream
Where can intracellular hormones be found? - correct answer -in the cytoplasm or nucleus
inside the cell
What are important qualities of amine hormones? - correct answer -- they can either be
lipid/fat or water soluble
- they are derivatives of the amino acid, tyrosine
, Where is the receptor located for a non polar hormone, and inversely for a polar hormone? -
correct answer -inside the cell for non polar and outside for polar
What comprises the 3 part receptor for a water soluble proteins? - correct answer -- the three
domains are the binding domain located outside the plasma membrane.
- the second part is the transmembrane domain which anchors the receptor itself into the
membrane
- the cytoplasmic domain extends into the cytoplasm and initiates the response in the target cell
What hormones are secreted by the endocrine hormones in the stomach wall? - correct answer
-- gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin
What does two systems does the pituitary gland link, and how does it do so? Where is it
located? - correct answer -- it's a link between the nervous system and many endocrine glands.
It's located at the bottom of the skull, attached to the hypothalamus.
What hormones does the posterior pituitary secrete? How are these hormones released?
Where are they secreted? - correct answer -- antidiuretic hormone (adh) and oxytocin which are
produces by neurons in the hypothalamus (neurohormones)
- these hormones are then packaged into vesicles and released via blood vessels
What is the portal blood vesicle and why is it important? - correct answer -it's used by the
anterior pituitary gland to receive signals from the hypothalamus to begin secreting the
hormones the it's responsible for secreting.
Why are neurohormones known as "releasing hormones"? - correct answer -they are
responsible for causing the anterior pituitary gland to secrete and release its hormones
CORRECT ANSWERS 2026 RATED A+
What does an anabolic steroid act like and how does it do so? - correct answer -it acts like
testosterone by affecting/altering gene expression
What are risks associated with anabolic steroids? - correct answer -increased risk for cancer,
kidney, heart, and liver diseases (kchld)
What are some effects/responsibilities of testosterone? This is the "nucleus affecting"
hormone..... - correct answer -1) male secondary characteristics (ex: deep voice, facial and body
hair)
2) increased bone and muscle mass
How does testosterone affect women? - correct answer -it can lead to a decrease in the amount
of breast tissue
What kind of time scale do hormones operate on? - correct answer -seconds to days
What kind of bodily processes are hormones normally responsible for? - correct answer -used
for physiological processes, a "slow" communication between distant cells in the body
What would a hormone not be useful for? - correct answer -in a case where a rapid reaction is
necessary, that's where the nervous system would come into play
What are endocrine cells responsible for? What part of the body do they affect? - correct
answer -endocrine cells are responsible for secreting hormones into the interstitial space/ or
the blood stream. Think of endo (inside)
,What are exocrine cells responsible for? What part of the body do they affect? - correct answer
-exocrine cells secrete substances into ducts that are connected to the outside world. (ex:
digestive track) think of the exo (exit, outside)
Epithelial cells... - correct answer -line the outside world
What is the difference between an autocrine and paracrine hormone? - correct answer -
autocrine directly affects the cell secreting the hormone itself, as to where paracrine affects
cell(s) in the immediate vicinity. Also, these are both considered local hormones
What is an endocrine hormone? - correct answer -one that affects distant cells via the blood
stream
What purpose do the endocrine glands serve? - correct answer -the endocrine glands are used
to secrete circulating hormones. This means they secrete distant hormones that need to travel
to cells in other parts of the body.
What must be present in a cell for the hormone message to create a response within the cell(s)?
- correct answer -one of the proper receptors must be found within the cell. It's important to
keep in mind that a hormone can respond to more than one type/specific receptor
How does a hormone react throughout the body? (does it have the same effect on all cells in
the body) - correct answer -a single hormone can have different effects on different cells in
different part of the body. It depends on the type of receptor that is present.
What does epinephrine cause the body to do? - correct answer --fight or flight response
- the heart beats faster and more fatty acids are released into the blood stream from fat tissue
in order to provide more energy
- restricted blood flow to certain parts of the body such as the gut and other muscles that aren't
"escape muscles"
,- glycogen in the liver is broken down to produce energy
What happens when epinephrine binds to the b-2 receptor? - correct answer -cyclic amp levels
increase (think beta is lower than the alpha so it wants to rise)
What happens when epinephrine binds to the a-2 receptor? - correct answer -there is a
reduction in cyclic amp levels, (just remember the opposite of the b-2 case scenario)
What are the 3 hormone groups? - correct answer -1) peptides/proteins
2) steroid hormones
3) amine hormones
What are the important qualities of peptide/protein hormones? - correct answer -- they are
water soluble and need to be transported by vesicles out of the cell that they're made in by
exocytosis.
- membrane impermeable
What are important qualities of steroid hormones? (solubility, membrane permeability, do they
need a carrier protein) - correct answer -- they are fat/lipid soluble
- membrane permeable
- have to be bound to carrier proteins when in the blood stream
Where can intracellular hormones be found? - correct answer -in the cytoplasm or nucleus
inside the cell
What are important qualities of amine hormones? - correct answer -- they can either be
lipid/fat or water soluble
- they are derivatives of the amino acid, tyrosine
, Where is the receptor located for a non polar hormone, and inversely for a polar hormone? -
correct answer -inside the cell for non polar and outside for polar
What comprises the 3 part receptor for a water soluble proteins? - correct answer -- the three
domains are the binding domain located outside the plasma membrane.
- the second part is the transmembrane domain which anchors the receptor itself into the
membrane
- the cytoplasmic domain extends into the cytoplasm and initiates the response in the target cell
What hormones are secreted by the endocrine hormones in the stomach wall? - correct answer
-- gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin
What does two systems does the pituitary gland link, and how does it do so? Where is it
located? - correct answer -- it's a link between the nervous system and many endocrine glands.
It's located at the bottom of the skull, attached to the hypothalamus.
What hormones does the posterior pituitary secrete? How are these hormones released?
Where are they secreted? - correct answer -- antidiuretic hormone (adh) and oxytocin which are
produces by neurons in the hypothalamus (neurohormones)
- these hormones are then packaged into vesicles and released via blood vessels
What is the portal blood vesicle and why is it important? - correct answer -it's used by the
anterior pituitary gland to receive signals from the hypothalamus to begin secreting the
hormones the it's responsible for secreting.
Why are neurohormones known as "releasing hormones"? - correct answer -they are
responsible for causing the anterior pituitary gland to secrete and release its hormones
