Question

Identify the odd term in each set and name the category to which the remaining three belong.
Example: Ovary, Fallopian tube, Ureter, Uterus
Odd term: Ureter
Category: Part of female reproductive system

1. Cortisone, Somatotropin, Adrenocorticotrophic hormone, Vasopressin
2. Oxytocin, Insulin, Prolactin, Progesterone.
3. Cretinism, myxoedema, simple goitre, acromegaly
4. Saliva, bile, sweat, tears

Answer 1

a. Cortisone, Somatotropin, Adrenocorticotrophic hormone, Vasopressin

Hormones of the pituitary gland:

1. The pituitary gland is located at the front of the neck and has three lobes, namely the anterior, posterior, and intermediate lobes.
2. The posterior lobe produces Vasopressin (ADH) and oxytocin.
3. The anterior lobe produces hormones such as Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), somatotropin, etc.

Hence, the Odd term is Cortisone as it is a hormone from the adrenal gland, and the category of the other hormones is hormones from the pituitary gland

b. Oxytocin, Insulin, Prolactin, Progesterone.

Female hormones:

1. Oxytocin is produced by the posterior pituitary and is involved in the uterine contractions during childbirth which pushes the baby through the birth canal.
2. It is also involved in milk ejection in mothers.
3. Prolactin is involved in lactation in breastfeeding mothers.
4. Progesterone is a female reproductive hormone involved in maintaining the uterine wall for pregnancy.

Hence, the odd term is Insulin which is produced in the pancreas and responsible for regulating blood glucose in both males and females, and the other hormones belong to the category of female hormones.

c. Cretinism, myxoedema, simple goiter, acromegaly

Thyroid gland malfunction:

1. Malfunctioning of the thyroid gland can lead to over or underproduction of thyroxin.
2. Hypothyroidism of underproduction of thyroxin can lead to Cretinism in children and myxoedema in adults.
3. Hyperthyroidism or overproduction of thyroxin can lead to a simple goiter or enlargement of the thyroid gland.

Hence, the odd term is acromegaly which is a disorder caused by an excess of growth hormone in adults, and the category to which the other disorders belong is the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.

d. Saliva, bile, sweat, tears

The first line of defense of innate immunity:

1. The physical barriers of the body provide immunity against nonspecific pathogens called innate immunity.
2. Saliva serves as an antioxidant and also contains lysozymes to kill bacteria.
3. Tears contain the hydrolytic enzyme called lysozymes which kill bacteria.
4. Sweat contains peptides that have antimicrobial properties.

Hence, the odd term is bile which is the digestive juice secreted by the liver for digestion of fats, while the other three belong to the category of the first line of defense of innate immunity.