A patient who has recently undergone surgery to remove tumors from his thyroid gland suddenly begins to tremble violently from head to toe because his nerves have become too excitable.Why?
A) Too much thyroid tissue was removed, and without oxytocin, blood calcium levels fell too low.
B) The parathyroid glands were removed, and without parathyroid hormone (PTH), blood calcium levels rose too high.
C) The parathyroid glands were removed, and without parathyroid hormone (PTH), blood calcium levels fell too low.
D) Too much thyroid tissue was removed, and without calcitonin, blood calcium levels fell too low.
E) The hypothalamus was removed, and without its releasing hormones, blood calcium levels fell too low.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The parathyroid glands are responsible for secreting parathyroid hormone (PTH), which regulates blood calcium levels. If the parathyroid glands are removed, there is no PTH to regulate calcium levels, which can result in hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels). Hypocalcemia can lead to increased excitability of nerves and muscles, resulting in tremors. In this scenario, the removal of tumors from the thyroid gland would not directly affect blood calcium levels.

A Patient Who Has Recently Undergone Surgery to Remove Tumors