Overview Overview pituitary, or hypophysis, rests in sella turcica, a depression of the sphenoid bone primary function of pituitary is secretion of hormones anatomically, pituitary is divided into anterior and posterior pituitary Anterior Pituitary: Anatomy and Embryology Anterior pituitary anterior pituitary, or adenohypophysis, is the glandular component of the pituitary a collection of endocrine cells login to view 1 more bullet consists of pars distalis, pars intermedia,and pars tuberalis embryological origin oral ectoderm (Rathke's pouch) login to view 2 more bullets Anterior pituitary cell types various cell types are responsible for synthesis and secretion of various hormones gonadotrophs FSH and LH corticotrophs ACTH thyrotrophs TSH lactotrophs prolactin somatotrophs growth hormone (somatotropin) Histology chromophils anterior pituitary cells that contain granules that react with acidophilic/basophilic stains login to view 9 more bullets chromophobes anterior pituitary cells that lack granules and that do not react with acidophilic/basophilic stains login to view 1 more bullet Anterior Pituitary: Hormones Anterior pituitary hormones FLAT PiG FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) LH (luteinizing hormone) ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) Prolactin Growth hormone (somatotropin) categories of hormones corticolipotropins login to view 1 more bullet glycoprotein hormones login to view 1 more bullet somatomammotropins login to view 1 more bullet Cortiolipotropins synthesis overview login to view 2 more bullets pathway details MSH login to view 4 more bullets Glycoprotein hormones subunits of peptide hormones glycoprotein hormones contain 2 subunits: α and β subunit login to view 2 more bullets human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) structurally related to glycoprotein hormone login to view 1 more bullet Somatomammotropins prolactin growth hormone secretion login to view 3 more bullets functions login to view 8 more bullets pathophysiology login to view 23 more bullets Posterior Pituitary: Anatomy and Embryology posterior pituitary posterior pituitary, or neurohypophysis, is the neural portion of the pituitary a collection of unmyelinated axons login to view 1 more bullet consists of pars nervosa, infundibular stalk, and median eminence neurophysins carry hormones made in the hypothalamus (ADH and oxytocin) from the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary embryological origin neural ectoderm login to view 1 more bullet Posterior Pituitary: Hormones Antidiuretic hormone (ADH; vasopressin) synthesis hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus neuronal cell bodies synthesize ADH pro-hormone login to view 1 more bullet ADH pro-hormones are packaged in secretory vesicles login to view 2 more bullets ADH pro-hormone processing occurs in secretory vesicles during axonal transport login to view 1 more bullet secretion action potential depolarizes nerve terminals login to view 2 more bullets Oxytocin synthesis neuronal cell bodies of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus synthesize oxytocin pro-hormone login to view 1 more bullet oxytocin pro-hormones are packaged in secretory vesicles login to view 2 more bullets oxytocin pro-hormone processing occurs in secretory vesicles during axonal transport login to view 1 more bullet secretion action potential depolarizes nerve terminals login to view 2 more bullets