Chapter 25 - B. Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland

hypothalamus

• located inferior to the thalamus in the brain

• important component of both the nervous and endocrine systems, and couples these two regulatory systems together.

tropic hormones

• the hypothalamic hormones and several of the anterior pituitary hormones are called ___ because they target another endocrine gland.

pituitary gland

• also called the hypophysis

• composed of:

  • anterior pituitary / adenohypophysis

  • posterior pituitary / neurohypophysis

hypophysis

• aka pituitary gland

• translated as “to grow under the hypothalamus”

intermediate lobe

• present in the fetus but atrophies during fetal development.

  • atrophies = gradually shrink/weaken b/c it is not being used or are no longer needed.

infundibulum

• the stalk that connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland and contains a direct blood supply to the pituitary.

anterior pituitary

• aka adenohypophysis

  • adeno = gland

• composes the pituitary gland

• is composed of glandular epithelial tissue that makes and secretes seven hormones:

  • growth hormone (GH)

  • thyroid-stimulating hormone (FSH)

  • luteinizing hormone (LH)

  • prolactin (PRL)

  • adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

  • melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)

posterior pituitary

• aka neurohypophysis

  • neuro = nerves

• composes the pituitary gland

• composed of nervous tissue that stores and releases into the blood two hormones that are not synthesized in the posterior pituitary:

  • antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

  • oxytocin (OT)

GH

• growth hormone

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

TSH

• thyroid-stimulating hormone

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

FSH

• follicle-stimulating hormone

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

LH

• luteinizing hormone

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

PRL

• prolactin

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

ACTH

• adrenocorticotropic hormone

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

MSH

• melanocyte-stimulating hormone

• secreted by the anterior pituitary

ADH

• antidiuretic hormone

• blood hormone that is not synthesized in the posterior pituitary

• stored and released by the posterior pituitary

OT

• oxytocin

• blood hormone that is not synthesized in the posterior pituitary

• stored and released by the posterior pituitary