Final answer:
Hormone levels changing with neural stimulation, such as insulin production in response to stress without changes in blood glucose levels, and beta cells possessing epinephrine receptors, support the hypothesis that pancreas's hormone production is controlled by neural stimuli.
Step-by-step explanation:
A scientist hypothesizes that the pancreas’s hormone production is controlled by neural stimuli. An observation that would support this hypothesis is that: Hormone levels change with neural stimulation. Specifically, the production of insulin in response to sudden stress without a rise in blood glucose would support the idea that neural stimuli can trigger hormone release. This is because stress can stimulate the nervous system to send signals independently of blood glucose concentration, which then leads to insulin secretion. Furthermore, the presence of epinephrine receptors on beta cells indicates a direct mechanism for neural influence on insulin production, supporting the neural stimuli hypothesis.
Hormone secretion can also be triggered by changes in the blood (humoral stimuli) or by other hormones (hormonal stimuli), as part of the complex regulation of the endocrine system. In the case of the pancreas, alpha islet cells produce glucagon, which raises blood glucose levels, while beta cells produce insulin, which lowers it. Damage to alpha islet cells could lead to lower blood glucose levels; thus, administering insulin would likely exacerbate the condition, indicating that proper balance and feedback mechanisms are critical for the endocrine system's function. Overall, neural responses can facilitate the secretion of both enzymes, like salivary amylase, and hormones important for metabolic processes.