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Question #45417
The Question
During embryonic development, a specific teratogen arrests the formation of Rathke's pouch (an outpocketing of the embryonic oral ectoderm) while leaving the neural ectoderm completely unaffected. Which of the following will be the most direct consequence on the organism's physiological homeostasis and Darwinian fitness?
Options
- A.
The organism will experience severe diabetes insipidus and failure of milk ejection, severely limiting offspring survival.
- B.
The organism will exhibit stunted growth and primary sterility due to the absence of gonadotropins, reducing its Darwinian fitness to zero.
- C.
The organism will fail to synthesize oxytocin and vasopressin in the hypothalamic nuclei, compromising its osmoregulatory fitness.
- D.
The organism will maintain normal basal metabolic rate through direct neural stimulation of the thyroid, but will fail to reproduce.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Evolutionary_Exception
Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.
Concepts Behind This Question
Adenohypophysis vs Neurohypophysis Origin|Ecological Fitness (Darwinian Fitness)
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Embryological origin of the pituitary gland (Oral vs.
Neural Ectoderm) and its direct link to Darwinian (reproductive) fitness.
Students often confuse the origins of the anterior and posterior pituitary or mistakenly assume the posterior pituitary synthesizes its own hormones.
The trap in Option A tests the functional overlap and origin of the neurohypophysis, while Option B correctly links the adenohypophysis to gonadotropins and evolutionary fitness.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Chemical Coordination and Integration - Class 11 |
| Concept | Adenohypophysis vs Neurohypophysis Origin |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |