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Related Concept Videos

The Pituitary Gland01:17

The Pituitary Gland

The pituitary is a small endocrine organ in the sphenoid bone under the hypothalamus. Primarily, the pituitary in adults has two distinct anatomical and functional regions— the anterior and posterior lobes. During human fetal development, a third pituitary gland region called the pars intermedia atrophies and disappears. However, some of its cells migrate and exist adjacent to the anterior pituitary in adults.
Hormones of the Pituitary Gland01:27

Hormones of the Pituitary Gland

The small, pea-sized pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain. It is crucial in regulating various bodily functions, from growth to reproduction. The gland is divided into the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The secretory cell clusters in the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary lobe are controlled by hypothalamic regulators and synthesize six primary hormones.
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
Regulation of Hormone Secretion01:19

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...
Endocrine Signaling01:45

Endocrine Signaling

Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
Endocrine Signaling01:45

Endocrine Signaling

Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis01:37

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology
09:48

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology

Published on: February 25, 2022

Investigating and modelling pituitary endocrine network function.

D J Hodson1, F Molino, P Fontanaud

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier, France.

Journal of Neuroendocrinology
|August 3, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian pituitary endocrine cells form networks for precise hormone release. This review explores how cell network structure and function enable coordinated activity and information flow, using new technologies and mathematical models.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology
09:48

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology

Published on: February 25, 2022

Dissection and Coronal Slice Preparation of Developing Mouse Pituitary Gland
06:53

Dissection and Coronal Slice Preparation of Developing Mouse Pituitary Gland

Published on: November 16, 2017

Isolation of Targeted Hypothalamic Neurons for Studies of Hormonal, Metabolic, and Electrical Regulation
09:29

Isolation of Targeted Hypothalamic Neurons for Studies of Hormonal, Metabolic, and Electrical Regulation

Published on: August 4, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Mammalian pituitary endocrine cells form 3D homotypic networks.
  • These networks optimize hormone output through precise intercellular communication.
  • The structure-function relationships governing coordinated cell activity are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review technological advances for probing endocrine cell network structure and function.
  • To discuss mathematical models for analyzing network data.
  • To focus on mechanisms of dynamic population-level endocrine cell function and information flow.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent technological advancements in visualizing and measuring endocrine cell networks.
  • Discussion of mathematical and computational modeling approaches.
  • Analysis of experimental techniques for tracking information flow within cell ensembles.

Main Results:

  • Emerging technologies enable detailed characterization of endocrine cell network architecture.
  • Mathematical models provide frameworks for understanding population dynamics and information transmission.
  • Mechanisms for dynamic, coordinated endocrine cell activity are being elucidated.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding endocrine cell network dynamics is crucial for optimizing hormone release.
  • Technological and modeling advances are key to unraveling these complex relationships.
  • Further research will illuminate how cell networks govern pituitary gland function.