Beginner Nerve Supply of the Adrenal Glands Quiz
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Q1. Which division of the autonomic nervous system provides the major direct neural supply to the adrenal medulla?
- Parasympathetic nervous system
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Enteric nervous system
- Somatic motor system
Q2. What type of sympathetic fibers directly innervate adrenal medullary chromaffin cells?
- Somatic sensory fibers
- Preganglionic sympathetic fibers
- Postganglionic sympathetic fibers
- Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers
Q3. Which nerves carry much of the preganglionic sympathetic supply toward the adrenal glands?
- Vagus nerves
- Thoracic splanchnic nerves
- Phrenic nerves
- Pelvic splanchnic nerves
Q4. On which adrenal cells do preganglionic sympathetic fibers synapse directly?
- Hepatocytes
- Zona glomerulosa cells only
- Renal podocytes
- Chromaffin cells
Q5. Which neurotransmitter is released by preganglionic sympathetic terminals in the adrenal medulla?
- Cortisol
- Acetylcholine
- Dopamine only
- Aldosterone
Q6. Which receptor type on chromaffin cells responds to acetylcholine from preganglionic sympathetic fibers?
- Mineralocorticoid receptors
- Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
- Muscarinic receptors exclusively
- Alpha-1 adrenergic receptors only
Q7. Chromaffin cells are functionally equivalent to what type of autonomic neuron?
- Primary sensory neurons
- Modified postganglionic sympathetic neurons
- Preganglionic parasympathetic neurons
- Somatic motor neurons
Q8. What is the immediate endocrine result of sympathetic stimulation of adrenal chromaffin cells?
- Release of catecholamines into the bloodstream
- Release of bile into the duodenum
- Secretion of urine into the renal pelvis
- Release of thyroid hormone
Q9. Which part of the adrenal gland has the most specialized direct autonomic innervation?
- Adrenal capsule
- Adrenal medulla
- Zona glomerulosa only
- Perirenal fat
Q10. Which statement best describes the adrenal medulla's neural organization?
- It is supplied only by somatic motor neurons
- It is a parasympathetic ganglion
- It functions as a modified sympathetic ganglion
- It has no neural supply