Exam Focus

Exam Focus

Adrenaline and thyroxine are examined regularly, often as part of broader endocrine system questions. The key question types are:

Edexcel (1BI0/2): Adrenaline and thyroxine are examined on Edexcel Paper 2 (1BI0/2) within Topic 7. Edexcel questions often provide a scenario — for example, a person in a stressful situation or a patient with suspected hypothyroidism — and ask students to explain the effects using the named hormone and gland. "Suggest" questions are common: e.g. "suggest why this patient feels cold and gains weight easily" (expected answer: low thyroxine reduces metabolic rate). For thyroxine, the negative feedback loop through the hypothalamus and pituitary is examinable at higher tier on Edexcel as well as AQA.

• Describe adrenaline effects (3-4 marks): List at least three specific physiological changes and link each to how it prepares the body for action. Generic answers ("the body gets ready to run") score nothing — name the organ and the change.
• Explain thyroxine negative feedback (4-6 marks): Must include: low thyroxine → pituitary detects → TSH released → thyroid stimulated → thyroxine rises → pituitary reduces TSH. All six steps for full marks.
• Compare nervous and hormonal systems (4 marks): Speed, duration, method of transmission, and specificity. Use comparative language ("faster than," "longer lasting than").
• Hypothyroidism application question: Given a patient with symptoms, explain why low thyroxine causes those symptoms — always link back to reduced metabolic rate.

Command word alert: "Describe" means list observable features; "Explain" means give the mechanism and reason. These command words are worth at least 1 mark each if followed correctly.