Critical Thinking

1. Critical Thinking • Julie is pregnant but is not receiving prenatal care. She has a poor diet consisting mostly of fast food. She drinks no milk, preferring colas instead. How would this situation affect Julie’s level of parathyroid hormone?

2. Answer • Julie’s poor diet would not supply enough Ca2+ for her developing fetus, which would remove large amounts of Ca2+ from the maternal blood. A lowering of the mother’s blood Ca2+ would lead to an increase in parathyroid hormone levels and increased mobilization of stored Ca2+ from maternal skeletal reserves.

3. Critical Thinking • Roger has been extremely thirsty; he drinks numerous glasses of water every day and urinates a great deal. Name one disorder that could produce these symptoms. What test could a clinician perform to determine which disorder Roger has?

4. Answer • Extreme thirst and frequent urination are characteristics of diabetes. Glucose levels in the blood and urine could be measured. A high glucose concentration would indicate diabetes mellitus.

5. Critical Thinking • Patients receiving steroid hormones frequently retain large amounts of water. Why?

6. Answer • All steroid hormones are quite similar in structure. When there is an excess of one steroid, some is converted to another form, commonly a form similar to aldosterone. Increased levels of aldosterone lead to the retention of sodium and water and can produce bloating, as in patients receiving steroid therapy.