Hypothalamic-Pituitary Hormones

Overview

The cooperative actions of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland lie at the center of much of the endocrine regulation of the human body. After discussing the basic relationship between these two organs we delve into the physiology and pathology of a select set of hormones which are controlled by this system. It should be pointed out that a variety of other hormone systems are regulated through hypothalamic-pituitary coordination; however, we only cover those in this section whose final major endocrinologically active hormone is synthesized by the pituitary itself.