Endocrine System: Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland

Question 1

What is the hypothalamus surrounded by?

Answer 1

limbic lobe

Question 2

What is the posterior pituitary made up of?

Answer 2

nervous tissue

Question 3

What is the anterior pituitary made up of?

Answer 3

glandular epithelial tissue

Question 4

What are the two nuclei in the hypothalamus that make hormones released from the posterior pituitary and what hormone does each make?

Answer 4

paraventricular nucleus (mostly oxytocin)
supraoptic nucleus (mostly ADH)

Question 5

What connects the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary and what is another name for the posterior pituitary?

Answer 5

hypothalamic-posterior pituitary stalk (containing the axons of neurosecretory hormones)

neurohypophysis

Question 6

What are the four steps that take place in the posterior pituitary and hypothalamus that leads to the release of hormone?

Answer 6

1. hormone synthesized and packaged in cell body
2. vesicles containing hormone move along axon
3. vesicle stored in hypothalamic neuron terminals
4. released into blood

Question 7

The hypothalamus has extensive ______ connections with __________

Answer 7

neural

the rest of the brain

Question 8

What stimulates the release of ADH (antidiuretic hormone)? (3)

Answer 8

increased osmolality
decreased blood pressure
increased stressors (adrenergic)

Question 9

What stimulates the release of oxytoxcin (2) and what does it promote (2)?

Answer 9

• decreased levels of progesterone (end of pregnancy)
• cervical stretch receptors
• ejection of milk
• bonding/attachment

Question 10

Anterior pituitary: what is secreted into the portal system to ‘release’ or ‘inhibit’?

Answer 10

hypophysiotrophic hormones

Question 11

Anterior pituitary: what is the name of the portal system?

Answer 11

hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system

Question 12

Endocrine cells of the anterior pituitary are controlled by _________ and secrete ______ into systemic blood.

Answer 12

hypophysiotrophic hormones

anterior pituitary hormones

Question 13

What are the six hormones of the anterior pituitary and where are they found?

Answer 13

TSH (thyrotroph)
ACTH (cortiotroph)
prolactin (lactotroph)
LH and FSH (gonadotroph)
growth hormone (sommatotroph)

Question 14

Where does TSH go, what does it become and what does it do?

Answer 14

thyroid gland
T3 and T4
metabolic rate

Question 15

Where does ACTH go, what does it become and what does it do?

Answer 15

adrenal cortex
cortisol
metabolic actions; stress response

Question 16

Where does prolactin go and what does it do?

Answer 16

mammary glands

breast growth and milk secretion

Question 17

Where do LH and FSH go and what do they do?

Answer 17

gonads
LH: sex hormone excretion
FSH: gamete production

Question 18

Where does growth hormone go, what does it become and what does it do?

Answer 18

liver 
somatomedins
growth in bone and tissues 
OR
many tissues
metabolic actions