Deep Brain Structures 3 - the pituitary gland Flashcards
development of anterior pituitary
- glands of hard palate evaginated downward at around 4-5 weeks
- called Rathke’s pouch
- it eventually ascends into the base of the brain as the anterior pituitary
anterior pituitary is aka
adenohypophysis
development of the posterior pituitary
- evagination from the bottom of the developing nervous system
- all nervous tissue
posterior pituitary is aka
neurohypophysis
afferent to the posterior pituitary
- supraoptic nuclei
- paraventricular nuclei
once receiving afferent projections, what does the posterior pituitary release?
- oxytocin
- ADH
oxytocin function
- uterine contraction
- milk let down
ADH is aka
vasopressin
ADH/vasopressin function
-most powerful vasoconstrictor known
too much ADH =
SIADH
too little ADH =
diabetes insipidus
what is different with the afferents to the anterior pituitary compared to the posterior?
-NO neurons directly project to the anterior pituitary
how do signals get to the anterior pituitary?
- hypothalamic cells stop at median eminence and dump NTs
- NTs enter capillary network
- capillary network transports them into the anterior pituitary
hypothalamus factor: CRH
-anterior pituitary releases?
- beta-LPH
- ACTH
ACTH
- tells adrenal cortex to produce cortisol
- circadian rhythm tells you to start pumping out CRH to increase BP and HR and wake up
beta-LPH
- opiod precursor
- responsible for “runners high”
(can’t relate)
hypothalamus factor: TRH
-anterior pituitary releases?
TSH
TSH
- if thyroid hormone is low, feedback produced TRH to produce TSH to increase thyroid hormone
- and opposite is true if too low
hypothalamus factor: GnRH
-anterior pituitary releases?
- LH
- FSH
LH
- ovulation
- corpus luteum development
FSH
- develops follicles
- increases estrogen
hypothalamus factor: GIH and GRH
-anterior pituitary releases?
growth hormone
GIH
somatotropin
GRH
somatostatin
hypothalamus factor: PRH and PIH
-anterior pituitary releases?
prolactin
prolactin
- most likely to be tumor producing
- involved in lactation
PIH
-inhibitory so dopaminergic from arcuate nucleus
other hypothalamic functions
- satiety: feeding center
- osmoreceptors
- autonomics
- temp regulation
- sleep
- retinosuprachiasmatic
- behavior** big one
how does hypothalamus control temp regulation?
- everyone has genetic set point of temp
- if sick, hypothalamus sets a new one
- body adjusts to meet it = fever
what REALLY separates us from other species?
- emotional response attached to perceiving the environment
- taught, genetics, learned, hormonal, etc.
describe how our CNS is on a continuum
- from public speaking to panic disorder
- from deja vu to schizophrenia
- sexual desire to predator
where are most of the estrogen receptors located?
in the hypothalamus and thalamus
why is it significant that there is a neuroendocrine system?
- PMS has varying degrees
- PMS is a neurological response to hormones
- PMDD - McNeill’s wife… yikes
