A patient with acromegaly is found to have a pituitary adenoma. What hormone is most likely overproduced in this condition?

A. The endocrine system is responsible for voluntary actions:Voluntary actions, such as skeletal muscle movement, are controlled by the somatic nervous system, not the endocrine system.
B. Both systems use the same chemical messengers:The nervous and endocrine systems use different primary messengers—neurotransmitters for neurons and hormones for endocrine glands—although some overlap exists (e.g., norepinephrine).
C. The endocrine system is faster than the nervous system:The endocrine system typically acts more slowly because hormones travel through the bloodstream, while the nervous system acts rapidly via electrical impulses.
D. The endocrine system uses hormones, while the nervous system uses electrical impulses:The endocrine system relies on hormones carried by the blood for communication, whereas the nervous system transmits information via electrical impulses along neurons for immediate responses.

A. Leukocytes:Leukocytes (white blood cells) are involved in immune defense, not oxygen transport.
B. Platelets:Platelets mediate clotting and do not transport oxygen.
C. Hemoglobin:Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein within red blood cells, binds oxygen in the lungs and transports it to tissues.
D. Plasma:Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that carries nutrients and dissolved gases but oxygen is primarily carried bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells.