Posterior pituitary hormones

×Top Health Categories • Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 • Gastrointestinal Health • Artificial Intelligence • Heart Disease • Mpox • High Blood Pressure • Allergies • Lung Cancer • Alzheimer's & Dementia • Mental Health • Arthritis & Rheumatology • Pregnancy • Breast Cancer • Type 1 Diabetes • Cold, Flu & Cough • Type 2 Diabetes • Diet & Nutrition • Sexual Health • Eating Disorders • Sleep • Eye Health • By Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D. Reviewed by The pituitary gland is a pea-sized endocrine gland that is situated in the middle of the skull base and kept protected within a bony cavity called the sella turcica. It plays an essential role in regulating the functions of various other endocrine glands and maintaining overall hormone levels in the blood. Image Credit: Sebastian Kaulitzki / Shutterstock.com How does the pituitary gland work? The pituitary gland is divided into two parts: anterior pituitary gland and posterior pituitary gland. The gland is connected to another brain structure called the hypothalamus by a stalk comprising blood vessels and nerve fibers. The anterior lobe is mainly composed of hormone-secreting epithelial cells, whereas the posterior lobe contains unmyelinated nerve fibers coming from the hypothalamus. Under the control of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland controls the autonomic nervous system, which plays an essential role in regulating various involuntary functions of the body, including body temperature, hunger and thirst, urination, heartb...

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: • Explain the anatomical and functional relationships of the hypothalamus and the posterior and anterior lobes of the pituitary gland • Identify the two hormones released from the posterior pituitary, their target cells, and principal actions • Identify the six hormones produced by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, their target cells, their principal actions, and regulation by the hypothalamus The hypothalamus–pituitary complex can be thought of as the “command center” of the endocrine system. This complex secretes several hormones that directly produce responses in target tissues, as well as hormones that regulate the synthesis and secretion of hormones of other glands. In addition, the hypothalamus–pituitary complex coordinates the messages of the endocrine and nervous systems. In many cases stimuli received by the nervous system must pass through the hypothalamus–pituitary complex to release hormones that can initiate a response. The hypothalamus is a structure of the diencephalon of the brain located anterior and inferior to the thalamus ( pituitary gland (or hypophysis), a bean-sized organ suspended from it by a stem called the infundibulum (or pituitary stalk). The pituitary gland is cradled within the sella turcica of the sphenoid bone of the skull. It consists of two lobes that arise from distinct parts of embryonic tissue: the posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) is neural tissue, wherea...

Pituitary gland (Glandula pituitaria) The pituitary gland (hypophysis), is the master gland of the sella turcica of The pituitary gland is made of two active lobes; anterior and posterior. • The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, also known as the adenohypophysis, produces and secretes the majority of pituitary hormones. Its function is controlled by the releasing-hormones of the hypothalamus. • The posterior lobe ( The main function of the pituitary gland is to produce hormones that regulate many vital functions and processes, such as metabolism, growth, sexual maturation, reproduction, blood pressure and many other vital physical functions and processes. The hormones secreted by the gland affect nearly every This article will discuss the Key facts about the pituitary gland Definition The “master gland” of the endocrine system which controls the rest of the body glands. Structure Anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) Posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) Hormones Anterior pituitary: Growth hormone (somatotropin), prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) Posterior pituitary: Oxytocin, vasopressin Function Regulation of metabolism, growth, sexual maturation, reproduction, blood pressure, breastfeeding, immune response and many other vital physical functions and processes Synonyms: Hypophysis The pituitary gland is located in the pituitary fossa (sella turcica) of the ...

Overview Posterior Pituitary Location What is the posterior pituitary? The posterior pituitary is the back lobe of your Your pituitary gland is made of two lobes: the What is the pituitary gland? Your pituitary gland is a small gland located at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus. It’s a part of your endocrine system and is in charge of making many different important hormones. Your pituitary gland also tells other endocrine system glands to release hormones. Your pituitary gland is connected to your hypothalamus through a stalk of blood vessels and nerves. This is called the pituitary stalk. Through the stalk, your hypothalamus communicates with your pituitary gland and tells it to release certain hormones. Your hypothalamus is the part of your brain that controls functions like The pituitary gland makes the following hormones: • • Antidiuretic hormone (ADH, or vasopressin). • • Growth hormone (GH). • • Oxytocin. • • Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). What is the endocrine system? Your endocrine system is a network of several glands that create and secrete (release) hormones. A gland is an organ that makes one or more substances, such as hormones, digestive juices, sweat or tears. Endocrine glands release hormones directly into the bloodstream. Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it. ...

Enter search terms to find related medical topics, multimedia and more. Advanced Search: • Use “ “ for phrases o [ “pediatric abdominal pain” ] • Use – to remove results with certain terms o [ “abdominal pain” –pediatric ] • Use OR to account for alternate terms o [teenager OR adolescent ] Search A-Z The pituitary controls the function of most other endocrine glands and is therefore sometimes called the master gland. In turn, the pituitary is controlled in large part by the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that lies just above the pituitary. By detecting the levels of hormones produced by glands under the pituitary's control (target glands), the hypothalamus or the pituitary can determine how much stimulation the target glands need. The hormones produced by the pituitary are not all produced continuously. Most are released in bursts every 1 to 3 hours, with alternating periods of activity and inactivity. Some of the hormones, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone ( ACTH), growth hormone, and prolactin, follow a circadian rhythm: The levels rise and fall predictably during the day, usually peaking just before awakening and dropping to their lowest levels just before sleep. The levels of other hormones vary according to other factors. For example, in women, the levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which control reproductive functions, vary during the menstrual cycle. Vasopressin (also called antidiuretic hormone) regulates the amount of water excr...