Biology, Eighth Edition (Raven)

Chapter 46: The Endocrine System

Objective: Elaborate on the mechanisms believed to control the onset of labor in humans.


1.	The researchers in this particular study found that mice females begin labor when what protein rises in their blood stream?

		A)	insulin
		B)	hemoglobin
		C)	surfactant -A
		D)	thyroid hormone

2.	SP-A is known to assist in which of the following?

		A)	production of red blood cells
		B)	contraction of muscle proteins
		C)	production of bone cells in marrow
		D)	ability to breathe air

3.	In addition to Surfactant-A’s known role, a secondary effect involved with childbirth was discovered which is?

		A)	production of growth hormone to the fetus
		B)	release of neurotransmitters to the smooth muscle of the uterus
		C)	release of white blood cells into the amniotic fluid causing inflammation
		D)	signal to the kidneys to begin filtering the fetal blood

4.	Which of the following statements describes the findings of this research team?

		A)	mice injected with SP-A had much higher number of offspring
		B)	mice injected with SP-A delivered earlier than those who were not
		C)	mice injected with SP-A became sterile after their first pregnancy
		D)	mice injected with SP-A became more receptive to mating

5.	What is the next step in this labor and delivery research?

		A)	To purify the SP-A so that it can be used in human studies.
		B)	To convince the Food and Drug Administration that it is ready for human use.
		C)	To run the SP-A experiments in human volunteers.
		D)	To find the receptors on the immune cells to which SP-A binds.