Question
Which of the following correctly matches the hormone with its source gland and one condition caused by its deficiency?
| Hormone | Source Gland | Deficiency Condition |
|---|---|---|
| A. Insulin | Adrenal cortex | Diabetes mellitus |
| B. Thyroxine | Anterior pituitary | Cretinism |
| C. ADH | Hypothalamus | Diabetes insipidus |
| D. Cortisol | Thyroid | Addison’s disease |
(NEET 2023, adapted)
Answer: C — ADH from hypothalamus, deficiency causes diabetes insipidus
Solution — Step by Step
Option A places insulin in the adrenal cortex — insulin comes from the β-cells of islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Adrenal cortex secretes corticosteroids (cortisol, aldosterone). Cross out A immediately.
Thyroxine (T₃/T₄) is secreted by the thyroid gland, not the anterior pituitary. The anterior pituitary secretes TSH, which stimulates the thyroid to release thyroxine. Cretinism is indeed a deficiency condition of thyroxine — but the gland listed is wrong. B is eliminated.
Cortisol comes from the adrenal cortex, not the thyroid. Addison’s disease is caused by deficiency of adrenal cortical hormones (cortisol + aldosterone) — so the condition is right, but the gland is wrong. D is out.
ADH (antidiuretic hormone / vasopressin) is synthesized in the hypothalamus and stored and released from the posterior pituitary. Deficiency of ADH means the collecting tubules and DCT cannot reabsorb water — the patient produces huge volumes of dilute urine. This condition is diabetes insipidus. All three columns match perfectly. Answer: C.
Why This Works
The key to hormones questions in NEET is separating where a hormone is made from where it is released. ADH and oxytocin are both made in the hypothalamus but stored in the posterior pituitary — this single distinction is tested almost every year.
The “diabetes” confusion is a classic trap. Diabetes mellitus involves insulin and blood glucose. Diabetes insipidus has nothing to do with sugar — it’s purely a water-regulation failure. The only thing the two conditions share is the word “diabetes” (from Greek, meaning excessive urination) and the word “insipidus” (tasteless, as opposed to “mellitus” meaning honey-sweet).
For NEET, always think in triplets: hormone → source gland → target organ/condition. If any one of the three is off, the option is wrong — which is exactly how option D was designed to trick you (correct condition, wrong gland).
Alternative Method — The Gland-First Approach
Instead of checking each option, map every gland in the question to what it actually secretes:
Anterior pituitary → GH, TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, prolactin
Posterior pituitary → ADH (released), Oxytocin (released) — both made in hypothalamus
Thyroid → T₃, T₄, Calcitonin
Adrenal cortex → Cortisol, Aldosterone, sex corticoids
Adrenal medulla → Adrenaline, Noradrenaline
Pancreas (β-cells) → Insulin | (α-cells) → Glucagon
Once this table is in your head, every option in the question becomes a simple lookup. You don’t need to read the conditions at all until you’ve confirmed the gland match.
Common Mistake
Students write “ADH is secreted by the posterior pituitary” — this is a half-truth that costs marks. ADH is synthesized in the hypothalamus (specifically the supraoptic nucleus) and only stored and released from the posterior pituitary. NEET 2022 had a direct question on this. The hypothalamus is the correct answer for source/secretion.
For hypo vs. hyper conditions, remember: hypo = less hormone = less activity of target. Hypothyroidism → low BMR, weight gain, lethargy (cretinism in children, myxoedema in adults). Hyperthyroidism → high BMR, weight loss, exophthalmos (Graves’ disease). NEET PYQs from 2019–2024 have repeated this pattern at least 6 times in different forms.