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Which one of the following pairs of organs includes only the endocrine glands?
A
Thymus and testes
B
Adrenal and ovary
C
Parathyroid and adrenal
D
Pancreas and parathyroid
Detailed Solution
Endocrine glands are ductless glands that pour their secretions (hormones) directly into the blood.
The parathyroid glands secrete only parathyroid hormone, and the adrenal glands secrete only hormones (corticoids from the cortex and catecholamines from the medulla). Both are purely endocrine glands.
The testes and ovaries have a dual function: besides secreting sex hormones they produce gametes (sperms and ova), so they are not exclusively endocrine.
The pancreas is a composite (heterocrine) gland: its acini secrete pancreatic juice through a duct (exocrine part), while the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin and glucagon (endocrine part).
So every other pair contains at least one organ that is not purely endocrine.
The pair that includes only endocrine glands is parathyroid and adrenal.
The parathyroid glands secrete only parathyroid hormone, and the adrenal glands secrete only hormones (corticoids from the cortex and catecholamines from the medulla). Both are purely endocrine glands.
The testes and ovaries have a dual function: besides secreting sex hormones they produce gametes (sperms and ova), so they are not exclusively endocrine.
The pancreas is a composite (heterocrine) gland: its acini secrete pancreatic juice through a duct (exocrine part), while the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin and glucagon (endocrine part).
So every other pair contains at least one organ that is not purely endocrine.
The pair that includes only endocrine glands is parathyroid and adrenal.