Shindy Octavia

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Anatomy of Hypothalamus and Hypophysis

 Shindy Octavia
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A1

A. Hypothalamus
- The part of diencephalon located below the thalamus and between the lamina terminalis
and the mamillary bodies
- It is composed of a dozen or so nuclei in four major regions :
a) The mammillary region (mammil-=nipple-shaped), adjacent to the midbrain, is the most
posterior part of the hypothalamus. It includes the mammillary bodies and posterior
hypothalamic nuclei. The mammillary bodies are two, small, rounded projections that
serve as relay stations for reflexes related to the sense of smell.
b) The tuberal region, the widest part of the hypothalamus, includes the dorsomedial
nucleus, ventromedial nucleus, and arcuate nucleus, plus the stalklike infundibulum,
which connects the pituitary gland to the hypothalamus. The median eminence is a
slightly raised region that encircles the infundibulum
c) The supraoptic region lies superior to the optic chiasm (point of crossing of optic
nerves) and contains the paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, anterior
hypothalamus nucleus, and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Axons from paraventricular and
supraoptic nuclei form the hypothalamohypophyseal tract, which extends through the
infundibulum to the posterior lobe of the pituitary.
d) The preoptic region anterior to the supraoptic region is usually considered part of the
hypothalamus because it participates with the hypothalamus in regulating certain
autonomic activities. The preoptic region contains the medial and lateral preoptic
nuclei.
- Functions of the hypothalamus :
a) Control the ANS
b) Production of hormones
c) Regulation of emotional and behavioral patterns
d) Regulation of eating and drinking
e) Control of body temperature
f) Regulation of circulation rhythms and states of consciousness

B. Pituitary Gland/Hypophysis
- pea-shaped structure that measures 1-1.5 cm (0.5 in) in diameter
- 500-900 mg in weight
- lies in the hypophyseal fossa of the sella turcica of the sphenoid bone
- it attaches to the hypothalamus by a stalk (hypophysial stalk), the infundibulum
- divided into 2 distinct portions :
 Anterior pituitary/adenohypophysis (2/3 part)
 Shindy Octavia
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A1

 Consists of two parts in an adult : pars distalis is the larger portion, and the pars
tuberalis forms a sheath around the infundibulum.
 Secretes hormones that regulate a wide range of bodily activities, from growth to
reproduction. Release of anterior pituitary hormones is stimulated by releasing
hormones and suppressed by inhibiting hormones from the hypothalamus. Thus,
the hypothalamic hormones are an important link between the nervous and
endocrine

 Posterior pituitary/neurohypphysis (1/3 part)

 Consists of two parts : pars nervosa, the larger bulbar portion, and the
infundibulum. The third region of the pituitary gland called the pars intermedia
 Posterior pituitary does not synthesize hormones, it does store and release two
hormones.
 Consists of axons and axon terminalis of more than 10.000 hypothalamic
neurosecretory cells. The cell bodies of the neurosecretory cells are in the
paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus, their axons form the
hypothalamohypophyseal tract. This tract begins in the hypothalamus and ends
near blood capillaries in the posterior pituitary. The paraventricular nucleus
synthesizes the hormone oxytocin (OT) and the supraoptic nucleus produces
antidiuretic hormone (ADH), vasopressin.
 The axon terminals in the posterior pituitary are associated with specialized
neuroglia called pituicytes. After their production in the cell bodies of
neuroscretory cells, oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone are packaged into secretory
vesicles, which move by fast axonal transport to the axon terminals in the posterior
pituitary, where they stored until nerve impulses trigger exocytosis and the release
of the hormone.