The Pituitary Gland Flashcards
What is the hypothalamus connected to the pituitary gland by?
Stalk called the infundibulum
What are the 2 lobes of the pituitary gland?
Anterior and posterior pituitary
To the anterior and posterior pituitary, is hypothalamic communication neural or endocrine?
Neural to posterior pituitary
Endocrine to anterior pituitary
What are some key integrative functions of the hypothalamus and pituitary?
What do tropic hormones do?
Govern the release of another hormone
What kinds of hormones does the hypothalamus release?
Neurohormones
What kind of hormones does the posterior pituitary release?
Neurohormones (from hypothalamus)
What kind of hormones does the anterior pituitary release?
Endocrine hormones
What are the 2 forms of hypothalamic neurohormones?
Tropic
Non-tropic
Where do tropic hormones from the hypothalmus travel to?
Secreted into capillaries and travel to anterior pituitary
What do tropic hormones do?
Govern the relase of anterior pituitary hormones
Where do non-tropic hormones from the hypothalamus travel to?
Posterior pituitary (via axons of hypothalamic neurons)
Where they are released into the blood
What are 5 examples of tropic hypothalamic hormones?
Thyrotropic releasing hormone (TRH)
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)
Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)
Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GRH)
Prolactin releasing hormone (PRH)
What does TRH stand for?
Thyrotropin releasing hormone
What does CRH stand for?
Corticotropin releasing hormone
What does GHRH stand for?
Growth hormone releasing hormone
What does GnRH stand for?
Gonadotropin releasing hormone
What does PRH stand for?
Prolactin releasing hormone
What are 2 inhibiting tropic hypothalamic hormones?
Growth hormone inhibiting hormone (GHIH)
Dopamine
What does GHIH stand for?
Growth hormone inhibiting hormone
What is growth hormone inhibiting hormone (GHIH) also known as?
Somatostatin
What is dopamine also known as?
Prolactin inhibiting hormone (PIH)
What does PIH stand for?
Prolactin inhibiting hormone
What is the classification of all of the tropic hypothalamic hormones?
Peptides, except for dopamine which is an amine
How are hormones transfered from hypothalamus to anterior pituitary?
Through hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system (network of tiny vessels)
Contrast the anterior and posterior pituitary in terms of:
type of tissue
connections via
also called
size
Is the anterior or posterior pituitary larger?
Anterior makes up 2/3 of gland, posterior 1/3