Question 1: Define adrenaline and explain its primary role in the body's response to stress.

Answer: Adrenaline is a hormone released by the adrenal glands that prepares the body for 'fight or flight' by increasing heart rate, blood flow, and energy availability during stressful situations.

Question 2: Describe how thyroxine affects metabolic rate and growth in humans.

Answer: Thyroxine increases the rate of metabolism in cells, which supports growth and development, and regulates energy use in the body.

Question 3: Explain the mechanism by which adrenaline is released into the bloodstream during stress.

Answer: When the brain perceives stress, it signals the adrenal glands to release adrenaline into the blood, which then binds to receptors on target cells to trigger the fight or flight response.

Question 1: A pharmaceutical company produces thyroxine tablets with a concentration of 100 micrograms per tablet. If a patient requires a daily dose of 50 micrograms, how many tablets should they take per day?

Answer: 0.5 tablets

Question 2: Calculate the amount of adrenaline (in milligrams) in a solution that contains 0.5 mg per millilitre, if a patient receives a 2 ml dose.

Answer: 1 mg

Question 1: Outline the main safety precautions that should be taken when extracting hormones like adrenaline or thyroxine from animal tissues in a laboratory setting.

Answer: Use protective gloves and eye protection, work in a well-ventilated fume cupboard, handle chemicals carefully, and dispose of waste appropriately to prevent contamination or exposure.

Question 2: Identify the key variables that need to be controlled during the extraction process to ensure purity of the hormone.

Answer: Temperature, pH level, time of extraction, and the type and concentration of solvents used must be controlled for consistency and purity.

Question 1: In a clinical trial, patients' blood levels of thyroxine were measured before and after administering a new drug designed to increase hormone production. The data showed an average increase of 25%. What could be a possible industrial application of this drug?

Answer: The drug could be used to treat hypothyroidism, where patients have low thyroxine levels, thus improving metabolism and growth.

Question 2: Describe the significance of maintaining proper hormone levels in industrial hormone production to avoid overproduction or deficiency.

Answer: Maintaining proper hormone levels ensures safety and efficacy of hormone-based medicines, avoiding side effects like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, and ensuring consistent therapeutic outcomes.

Question 1: Explain how understanding the mechanisms of adrenaline and thyroxine can aid in developing industrial processes for hormone synthesis and pharmaceutical production. Discuss the importance of controlling reaction conditions and purity in these processes.

Answer: Understanding the mechanisms of adrenaline and thyroxine allows scientists to design efficient synthesis pathways, optimise reaction conditions such as temperature, pH, and catalysts, and ensure the hormones are produced with high purity. Controlling these factors is crucial to prevent side reactions, ensure safety, and produce effective medicines that meet regulatory standards. This knowledge also helps in scaling up production and developing synthetic alternatives to animal-derived hormones, reducing ethical concerns and improving supply stability.