Final answer:
TRH targets the pituitary gland, not the thyroid gland. It stimulates the pituitary to secrete TSH, which then acts on the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormones, governed by a negative feedback loop.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) targets the thyroid gland is false. TRH actually targets the pituitary gland, not the thyroid gland. Here's how the regulation process works: the hypothalamus secretes TRH, which then travels to the pituitary gland.
Once there, TRH stimulates the pituitary to secrete thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH is the pituitary hormone that then targets the thyroid gland, triggering it to release thyroid hormones like T3 and T4.
This system is governed by a negative feedback loop, where elevated levels of T3 and T4 in the bloodstream will eventually inhibit the production of TRH and TSH to prevent overproduction of thyroid hormones.