Pitutary Hormones

PITUTARY
HORMONES
Pituitary gland
 The hypothalamus makes up the lower region of the

diencephalons and lies just above the brain stem.
 The pituitary gland (hypophysis) is attached to the
bottom of the hypothalamus by a slender stalk called
the infundibulum.
 The pituitary gland consists of two major regions, the
anterior pituitary gland (anterior lobe or
adenohypophysis) and the posterior pituitary gland
(posterior lobe or neurohypophysis). The
hypothalamus also controls the glandular secretion of
the pituitary gland.
 The hypothalamus oversees many internal body
conditions. It receives nervous stimuli from
receptors throughout the body and monitors
chemical and physical characteristics of the blood,
including temperature, blood pressure, and
nutrient, hormone, and water content. When
deviations from homeostasis occur or when certain
developmental changes are required, the
hypothalamus stimulates cellular activity in various
parts of the body by directing the release of
hormones from the anterior and posterior pituitary
glands.
Pituitary hormones include:
 ACTH: Controls your adrenal gland hormones, which

affect heart rate, blood pressure, and the balance of
salt and water in your body
 Growth hormone: Controls how fast and big your
body grows
 Thyroid-stimulating hormone: Controls your thyroid
gland hormones, which control how fast your body's
chemical functions work
 LH and FSH: Control your sex
hormones testosterone and estrogen, which affect
fertility
 Prolactin: Controls the production of breast milk
Posterior pituitary
 Communication between the hypothalamus and the

posterior pituitary occurs through neurosecretory
cells that span the short distance between the
hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary. Hormones
produced by the cell bodies of the neurosecretory
cells are packaged in vesicles and transported
through the axon and stored in the axon terminals
that lie in the posterior pituitary.
 When the neurosecretory cells are stimulated, the
action potential generated triggers the release of the
stored hormones from the axon terminals to a
capillary network within the posterior pituitary.
 The posterior lobe is composed of neural tissue
[neural ectoderm] and is derived from
hypothalamus. Its function is to store oxytocin and
antidiuretic hormone. When the hypothalamic
neurons fire these hormones are release into the
capillaries of the posterior lobe.
 The posterior pituitary is, in effect, a projection of
the hypothalamus. It does not produce its own
hormones, but only stores and releases the
hormones oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone. ADH
is also known as arginine vasopressin (AVP) or
simply vasopressin.
Anterior pituitary
 The anterior lobe is derived from oral ectoderm and is composed of glandular
epithelium. Communication between the hypothalamus and the anterior
pituitary (adenohypophysis) occurs through hormones (releasing hormones
and inhibiting hormones) produced by the hypothalamus and delivered to the
anterior pituitary via a portal network of capillaries.
 It consists of three divisions:
 1. pars distalis,
 2. pars tuberalis,
 3. pars intermedia.
 The releasing and inhibiting hormones are produced by specialized neurons
of the hypothalamus called neurosecretory cells. The hormones are released
into a capillary network or primary plexus, and transported through veins or
hypophyseal portal veins, to a second capillary network or secondary plexus
that supplies the anterior pituitary. The hormones then diffuse from the
secondary plexus into the anterior pituitary, where they initiate the production
of specific hormones by the anterior pituitary. Many of the hormones
produced by the anterior pituitary are tropic hormones or tropins, which are
hormones that stimulate other endocrine glands to secrete their hormones.
The anterior pituitary secretes
 The anterior pituitary lobe receives releasing hormones
from the hypothalamus via a portal vein system known
as the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system.
 thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
 adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACH)
 prolactin
 follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
 luteinizing hormone (LH)
 growth hormone (GH)
 endorphins
 and other hormones
 It does this in response to a variety of
chemical signals from the hypothalamus,
which travels to the anterior lobe by way of a
special capillary system from the
hypothalamus, down the median eminence,
to the anterior lobe. These include:
 thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
 corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
 dopamine (DA), also called 'prolactin
inhibiting factor' (PIF)
 gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
 growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)
 In addition, all cells, except red blood cells
secrete a class of hormones called
eicosanoids. These hormones are
paracrines, or local hormones, that primarily
affect neighboring cells. Two groups of
eicosanoids, the prostaglandins (PGs) and
the leukotrienes (LTs), have a wide range of
varying effects that depend upon the nature
of the target cell. Eicosanoid activity, for
example, may impact blood pressure, blood
clotting, immune and inflammatory
responses, reproductive processes, and the
contraction of smooth muscles.
Symptoms of abnormal pituitary function
Not make enough hormones
Make too many hormones
Sometimes there's a problem with only one pituitary hormone.

Other times, you have a problem with many or all of the hormones.
If your pituitary gland produces too much, or not enough, of a

hormone, you can get health problems such as:
• Increased growth (acromegaly and gigantism)
• Decreased growth (short stature)
• Unexpected breast milk production (galactorrhea)
• Excessive thirst and urination, which can dehydrate you (central diabetes insipidus)
• Excessive weakness and tiredness (hypothyroidism)
• Menstrual problems
Causes of pituitary gland problems
A pituitary gland tumor
A head injury
An autoimmune disease or
other disease
Radiation therapy to your

head

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PITUTARY

 The hypothalamus makes up the lower region of the

 ACTH: Controls your adrenal gland hormones, which

 Communication between the hypothalamus and the

Not make enough hormones

Make too many hormones

Sometimes there's a problem with only one pituitary hormone.

If your pituitary gland produces too much, or not enough, of a

A pituitary gland tumor

Radiation therapy to your

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