Learning Outcomes

• Describe the physiologic and anatomic relationships between the hypothalamus and the anterior and the posterior pituitary
• State the functions of hypothalamus
• Name the hormones produced by the hypothalamus
• Describe the targets for hypothalamic hormones
• Describe the actions of posterior pituitary hormones
• Explain the mechanism that regulates posterior pituitary hormones

Hypothalamus

• anatomical location?
• what are nuclei? what neurons do hypothalamic nuclei contain?
• what are the functions of the hypothalamus?
• pathway of hypophysiotropic hormones?
• pathway of neurohypophyseal hormones?
• name the 8 hypothalamic hormones?
• what 4 types of regulatory signals control hypothalamic hormone release?

Hypothalamic-Hypophyseal Tract & Portal System

• anatomically, how is the hypothalamus connected to the anterior pituitary?
• anatomically, how is the hypothalamus connected to the posterior pituitary?
• physiologically, how is the hypothalamus connected to the anterior pituitary?