Describe structural and functional relationships between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
Describe structural and functional relationships between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
The hypothalamus is an almond-sized brain struct that serves as the connecting link between the body’s nervous system and endocrine system. The pituitary gland is the second most important gland of the endocrine system.
The structural relationship between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland:
The pituitary gland has two lobes; anterior and posterior. The anterior lobe is attached to the hypothalamus through a specialized portal blood system, and the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland is directly attached to the hypothalamus via the neuronal connection.
The functional relationship between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland:
Among the two pituitary lobes, the posterior lobe functions to temporarily store the two hormones (oxytocin and vasopressin) synthesized within the hypothalamus. The functional relationship between the hypothalamus and the pituitary’s anterior lobe is that the secretions of the hormones from the anterior pituitary are stimulated or inhibited by the secretions of the hypothalamus (releasing hormones stimulate the anterior pituitary secretion and inhibiting hormone inhibit the anterior pituitary secretions).
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