Objective 12: Hormones and Functions of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary Complex

How I remember what it does- posterior kind of sounds like postage and the  posterior pituitary gland is used for storage. This is just a quirky way that i remember what the posterior pituitary gland's function is.

The anterior pituitary gland has about 6 different hormones:

Growth Hormone-too much of this hormone can cause gigantism in children and adults, on the flip side too little of this hormone can cause dwarfism in children. It effects the liver, muscles, bones, cartilage, and other different tissues.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormones- too little in the body can cause hypothyroidism, in adults extreme hypothyrpoidism is called cretinism and in adults it is called myxedema. Too much of this hormone can cause Hyperthyroidism.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone- its job is to signal the adrenal cortex to release glucocorticoids and androgens. It is very rare to not have enough of this hormone, however having too much can lead to Cushing's disease. 

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone- it's job is to tell the ovaries and testies to start producing estrogen and sperm. Unfortunately if we dont have enough of this hormone we will be unable to have children, but having too isn't gonna be a bad.

Luteinizing Hormone-  also helps with the production of estrogen in females, but also with  triggers ovulation in females as well, in male it tells the testies to start making progesterone and testosterone. It effects are the same as the above, too much is a good thing but too little can be devestating for some.

Prolactin-tells the secretory tissue of the breast to start lactation, an insuficiency can cause problems in nursing women, too much cause too much milk production (galactorrhea) and is "impotence in males".

 The Posterior Pituitary Gland has about 2 hormones:

Oxytocin- tells the uterus to contract, starts off the labor contractions, and starts off the spill of milk in the breast. The effect of having too much or too little is unknown,

Antidiuretic Hormone- tells kidney when to reabsorb good ole H2O, too little can cause deabetes insipidus, too much can cause "Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH secretion"