Pituitary Gland Flashcards
What are the 2 principal organisers of the endocrine system?
Hypothalamus and pituitary
What is the hypothalamus?
Part of the brain and is directly connected to the pituitary gland via stalk called infundibulum
How would you describe communication between hypothalamus and pituitary?
NEUROENDOCRINE (neural - post; endo - ant)
What are tropic hormones?
Hormones which govern the release of another hormone (tropic and non-tropic released form H + P)
What type of hormones are released by hypothalamus?
Neurohormones
What type of hormones are released by the posterior pituitary?
Neurohormones
What type of hormones are released by the anterior pituitary?
Classic endocrine hormones
What part of the pituitary do hormones travel from hypothalamus to?
Posterior
Where are hormones released from in the posterior pituitary?
Vesicles
Are tropic or non-tropic hormones secreted into capillaries travelling to anterior pituitary?
TROPIC (govern release of anterior pituitary hormones)
Are tropic or non-tropic hormones produced in hypothalamus and travel to posterior pituitary?
NON-TROPIC (travel via axons of hypothalamic neurons where they are released into blood)
What is a property of all tropic hormones?
Bind to receptors on anterior pituitary and stimulate/inhibit release of AP hormones
Name 5 hypothalamic ‘releasing hormones’
Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH) Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Prolactin Releasing Hormone (PRH)
Name 2 hypothalamic ‘inhibiting hormones’
Growth Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (GHIH) aka somatostatin
Dopamine aka Prolactin Inhibiting Hormone (PIH)
Are all hypothalamic tropic hormones peptide or amine hormones?
They are all peptides, except dopamine which is amine
What is the hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system?
Network of tiny vessels which transfer trophic hormones from hypothalamus to ant pituitary
Do we need small or large numbers of neurosecretory neurons for control?
Small numbers are sufficient as ant pituitary is hypersensitive to minute amounts (like any other endocrine cell)
Where are hormones released from hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system?
From neurosecretory neurons at the median eminence
What type of tissue is the anterior pituitary?
True endocrine tissue
What type of tissue is the posterior pituitary?
Neuroendocrine tissue
What is the origin of ant pituitary tissue?
Epithelial origin
What is the origin of post pituitary tissue?
Neural tissue origin
How is ant pituitary connected to hypothalamus?
Via hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system (2 capillary beds connected in series)
How is post pituitary connected to hypothalamus?
Neural connection
What is another name for ant pituitary?
Adenohypophysis
What is another name for post pituitary?
Neurohypophysis
What part of the pituitary gland makes up 2/3rds?
Anterior (posterior is 1/3rd)