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ELIH 103 Speaking Project

Student Form—Step 3
Trimester 3, 2022/23
Directions:
• Write a well-developed paragraph of at least 100 words to answer each of your 4 research
questions (4 paragraphs total, minimum 400 words total)
• Each paragraph should have at least two references to the sources that you read, listened to or
watched
• Do not use direct quotations from the original sources. Instead paraphrase or restate the ideas in
your own words.
• You need to use APA style in-text citations inside of your paragraph and a references list at the end
of the 4 paragraphs with full APA-style references citation.

Research Question #1: What is the role of the pituitary gland?

Paragraph:
The pituitary gland is a small gland located underneath the hypothalamus in the brain, and it
has a crucial functional role of controlling a wide variety of other endocrine glands and hormones.
The gland is composed of four main parts: the anterior and posterior lobes, the pituitary stalk,
and the pars intermedia (Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, 2011-2018). Each part
releases hormones that stimulate other glands to vitalize important bodily functions like growth,
reproduction, lactation, metabolism, water and sodium balance, and traumatic responses
towards external factors. The pituitary gland monitors the body alongside the hypothalamus. The
hypothalamus begins by sending synapses to the pituitary gland. These synapses cause the
pituitary gland to release certain hormones in order to keep the body under a state of
homeostasis (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).

Research Question #2: How does the pituitary gland affect both the thyroid gland and gonads?
Paragraph:
Our focus in today’s presentation includes the effect of two of the anterior pituitary gland
hormones on human development and puberty, which are two vital body functions. These
hormones include the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and the luteinizing hormone. Starting
with the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), a glycoprotein hormone which is composed of
carbohydrate chains and protein. The (TSH) is the primary hormone that stimulates thyroid
hormone (T4) production by the thyroid gland, which functions on exerting growth effects on
thyroid follicular cells leading to enlargement of the thyroid and growth (Pirahanchi et al., 2022).
The next hormone is the luteinizing hormone (LH). LH works on changing sexual organs —ovaries
or testes — in order for the reproductive system to function correctly and reproduce. The LH in
women supports pregnancy and maintains the ovarian cycle. LH in men, on the other hand,
produces testosterone which is a hormone that helps in the process of spermatogenesis.
(Cleveland Clinic, 2022).

ELIH 103 Speaking Project Student Forms—Step 3 Trimester 3, 2022/23 p. 1

© 2023, English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University
Amna Trabelsi - #2305487
Research Question #3: How does the pituitary gland’s function and effect change with age?
Paragraph:
Because of the pituitary gland’s function of stimulating certain growth and puberty
hormones, like the thyroid-stimulating hormone and the growth hormone, its effect changes as
we age. The pituitary gland’s size changes with age, the gland grows to its maximum size during
middle age (40 years) and then starts to shrink gradually (MedLine Plus, 2022). When the pituitary
gland shrinks, stimulating hormones’ rate reduces drastically due to the failure of the pituitary
glands’ cells, which results in less hormones produced by the target organ. It's necessary to note
that the failure of pituitary cells does not occur simultaneously, but rather in sequence. The
sequence begins with the growth hormone-producing cells (GH), then the gonadotrophs (LH and
FSH secreting cells), and then aging signs start to physically appear (Defy Medical, 2019).

Research Question #4: What happens if the pituitary gland is hyperactive/ underactive
Paragraph:
A master’s mistake costs a lot, and so are the master gland’s diseases. Symptoms of
hypopituitarism and hyperpituitarism vary depending on what hormone is deficient or
surplus. Overactivity of the pituitary gland’s secretion of the growth hormone (GH), for
example, can cause gigantism. Which is a disease that causes noticeable excessive growth,
changes in facial features, arthritis, and other health problems. Severe cases of gigantism
suffer from complete or partial vision loss and persistent fatigue (Cleveland clinic, 2022).
Hypopituitarism of the same GH hormone ,on the other hand, causes pituitary dwarfism.
Pituitary dwarfism’s symptoms include : delayed puberty and sexual development,
headaches, and slow growth (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2021).

Please put your End-of-Text References on the next page. Be sure to include all your sources
from the 4 paragraphs and follow the APA “End of Text” reference style.

ELIH 103 Speaking Project Student Forms—Step 3 Trimester 3, 2022/23 p. 2

© 2023, English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University
Amna Trabelsi - #2305487
References

Cleveland Clinic. (2022, April 4). Pituitary Gland: What It s, Function &
Anatomy.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21459-pituitary-
gland#:~:text=The%20main%20function%20of%20your,Reproduction.

Cleveland Clinic. (2022, August 1). Luteinizing Hormone.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22255-luteinizing-hormone

Cleveland Clinic. (2022, May 23). Hyperpituitarism (Overactive Pituitary Gland)

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15173-
hyperpituitarism#:~:text=Having%20an%20overactive%20pituitary%20gland,control%
20growth%2C%20reproduction%20and%20metabolism.

Defy Medical. (2019, January 29). Pituitary Function and Healthy Aging: Dr. Richard Walker
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HmRMCPBoCXo

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. (2011-2018 April 19). How does the
pituitary gland work? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279389/

Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021, June 21). Growth Hormone

Deficiencyhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/growth-
hormone-deficiency

MedLine Plus. (2022, July 21). Aging changes in hormone production.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004000.htm#:~:text=As%20we%20age%2C%
20changes%20naturally,decrease%2C%20and%20some%20are%20unchanged.

Pirahanchi Y, Toro F, Jialal I. Physiology, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. [Updated 2022 May
8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.
Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499850/

Grade for Step 3

Para 1 Para 2 Para 3 Para 4 Citations Penalties Total
/4 /4 /4 /4 /4 - /20

Teacher’s Signature: _____________________

Date: ______

ELIH 103 Speaking Project Student Forms—Step 3 Trimester 3, 2022/23 p. 3

© 2023, English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University