What are the hormones released from the anterior pituitary?
Answer
There are seven hormones released from the anterior pituitary. They can be remembered by the acronym "Flat Pig." You have the hypothalamus stimulating the anterior pituitary to release a whole bunch of hormones such as thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and growth hormone. It does it because the hypothalamus produces hormones that travel down this blood supply and stimulate it. The first one we'll talk about is the thyroid-stimulating hormone, or it stimulates the thyroid. The thyroid is located on the anterior portion of the trachea on our neck. The thyroid produces with the help of iodine (found on our periodic table) T3 and T4. The number tells you how many iodine molecules are attached. T3 is the more predominant one. T4 turns into T3. T3 and T4 play an important role in metabolism. If you have too much of this thyroid hormone it can result in an overactive metabolism. So these individuals tend to lose weight, get hot easily, and sweat a lot. Those people with an underacting thyroid tend to hold on to weight more.
A look at prolactin as it relates to the anterior pituitary gland.....prolactin stimulates milk production. Oxytocin from the posterior pituitary gland is for milk ejection. Prolactin is there for milk production.
Have a look at FSH/LH known as the gonadotropins. The gonadotropins are going to act on the gonads. If we look at the male testes, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone together help to produce testosterone. And if you look at the ovaries what you will find is follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone together help to produce estrogen and progesterone. Follicle-stimulating hormone actually stimulates their follicle to begin their cycle at the beginning of each menstrual cycle. At the end of these follicles being produced, luteinizing hormone, which means yellow, ejects the egg from the ovary.
ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone, adreno means at the adrenal glands. Cortico- means outside aspect of the adrenal gland. Tropic tells you it is now stimulating another gland to produce a hormone. ACTH stimulates the cortex of the adrenal gland to release mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid. Minerolcorticoids are primarily aldosterone. Aldosterone helps us reabsorb sodium into the body. If you reabsorb sodium into the body, water always follows. If too much salt in the blood, water goes into the blood, and blood pressure goes up. During times of stress when blood pressure needs to be raised is when aldosterone is stimulated. Glucocorticoids are predominantly what we are talking about is cortisol. So cortisol plays an important role in releasing glucose into the bloodstream so our body can utilize this as energy. Cortisol also plays another role in regards to growth, development, and so forth.
Growth hormone mainly stimulates muscles and bones to grow. Can stimulate the liver to release IGF-1 or insulin-like growth factor; IGF-1 has a very strong role in muscle growth. These are the hormones released from the anterior pituitary gland.
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