Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
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,...
Major Hormones and Their Functions01:27

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Hormones, the biochemical messengers produced by endocrine glands, are pivotal in regulating bodily functions and maintaining homeostasis. Each hormone's balance is crucial; imbalances can lead to significant physiological disruptions. Major hormones include oxytocin, cortisol, epinephrine, estrogen, testosterone, thyroxine, growth hormone, insulin, and glucagon.
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.
Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle01:22

Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle

The ovarian cycle regulates endometrial changes throughout a single menstrual cycle via the coordinated action of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotrophins.
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle01:30

Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle

The ovarian cycle is meticulously regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This cycle orchestrates the release of a mature oocyte, essential for reproduction.
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle.  At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pendrin is upregulated by corticosterone and participates in its pressor response.

American journal of physiology. Renal physiology·2025
Same author

Domain-specific AI segmentation of IMPDH2 rod/ring structures in mouse embryonic stem cells.

BMC biology·2025
Same author

Trophoblast-derived factors drive human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation along an endothelial lineage: A model of early placental vasculogenesis.

Reproductive biology·2025
Same author

The glomerular circadian clock temporally regulates basement membrane dynamics and the podocyte glucocorticoid response.

Kidney international·2024
Same author

Bacterial aggregation facilitates internalin-mediated invasion of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>.

Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology·2024
Same author

P2X7 receptor knockout does not alter renal function or prevent angiotensin II-induced kidney injury in F344 rats.

Scientific reports·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 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

Pulsatile patterns of pituitary hormone gene expression change during development.

Karen Featherstone1, Claire V Harper, Anne McNamara

  • 1Developmental Biomedicine Research Group, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.

Journal of Cell Science
|October 11, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Gene expression in single cells is highly pulsatile during early development but stabilizes as pituitary tissue matures. This dynamic transcriptional activity is influenced by cellular context and developmental stage, impacting cell differentiation.

More Related Videos

Temporal Ordering of Dynamic Expression Data from Detailed Spatial Expression Maps
11:52

Temporal Ordering of Dynamic Expression Data from Detailed Spatial Expression Maps

Published on: February 9, 2017

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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 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

Temporal Ordering of Dynamic Expression Data from Detailed Spatial Expression Maps
11:52

Temporal Ordering of Dynamic Expression Data from Detailed Spatial Expression Maps

Published on: February 9, 2017

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

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cellular biology
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Transcription in living cells is often pulsatile and stochastic, particularly in clonal cell lines.
  • Understanding real-time, single-cell transcriptional activity within a physiological context is limited.
  • This pulsatile nature has implications for cellular differentiation processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate single-cell transcriptional activity in real-time within living pituitary tissue.
  • To assess how dynamic transcription patterns change during fetal and neonatal development.
  • To explore the influence of tissue architecture and cellular context on transcription.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized bioluminescence imaging in transgenic rats with luciferase reporter genes driven by pituitary hormone promoters.
  • Studied fetal and neonatal pituitary tissue to observe transcriptional dynamics.
  • Compared luminescence in intact tissue with enzymatically dispersed single cells.

Main Results:

  • Single-cell gene expression was highly pulsatile during initial endocrine cell appearance but stabilized in early neonatal life.
  • Isolated pituitary cells exhibited pulsatile luminescence, suggesting context-dependence.
  • Nascent embryonic cells showed coordinated transcription over short distances, highlighting the importance of cellular context.

Conclusions:

  • Cellular transcription patterns are dynamic and context-dependent, changing with developmental stage.
  • Tissue architecture and paracrine signaling likely influence transcription stabilization.
  • These findings have significant implications for understanding cellular differentiation.