If the connection between the hypothalamus and pituitary were severed, damaging the neurons, the secretion of which type of chemical messenger (signal) would most directly be affected?
a) chemokines
b) neurotransmitters
c) releasing hormone
d) tropic hormone

Tropic hormones

Explanation:

The damage probably occurred at the infindibular stalk or the pituitary stalk that links the hypothalamus to the pituitary glands. If this were to happen, then there would be no communication between the two endocrine glands and the chemical signals affected will be tropic hormones. This is because the releasing hormones from the hypothalamus will not be able to reach the pituitary glands to stimulate the release of the secondary hormones. Tropic hormones are hormones which have other glands as their targets for example Adenocorticotropin Hormone (ACTH) that regulates how the steroid hormone cortisol is released by the adrenal glands. The picture below shows the pituitary stalk linking the hypothalamus to the pituitary glands.