PS263 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Posterior Pituitary, Anterior Pituitary, Pituitary Stalk
Document Summary
Most hormones fall into one of three categories. Hormones are chemicals released into general circulation by the endocrine system which have an effect on target cells in other organs. They are similar to neurotransmitters, but the target region can be very far removed. A tropic hormone is any hormone that stimulates or suppresses the release of other hormones. The pituitary is actually two glands with an anterior and a posterior portion, which dangles from the hypothalamus via the pituitary stalk. Strictly speaking, it is only the anterior pituitary that releases tropic hormones. Gonadal hormones: within the context of sexual behaviour, the gonads (testes and ovaries) are the most important targets of the anterior pituitary, and gonadotropic hormones are the most relevant hormones. The three major categories of gonadal hormones are (1) estrogens (e. g. estradiol) (2) androgens (e. g. , testosterone) (3) progestin"s (e. g. , progesterone)
