Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026
07:23
Culture of Murine Embryonic Metatarsals: A Physiological Model of Endochondral Ossification
Published on: December 3, 2016
12.5K
Pituitary-bone connection in skeletal regulation
Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation
|August 11, 2016
Summary
Pituitary hormones like growth hormone (GH) and others impact bone directly, not just target tissues. This discovery offers new therapeutic avenues for bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Bone Biology
- Metabolic Bone Diseases
Background:
- Pituitary hormones were traditionally viewed as having limited, specific functions on target tissues.
- Recent findings reveal pituitary hormones and their receptors are present in the skeleton, indicating broader roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the direct effects of key pituitary hormones on bone tissue.
- To explore the implications of these skeletal actions for understanding and treating metabolic bone diseases.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on pituitary hormones and bone.
- Discussion of specific pituitary hormones including growth hormone (GH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), prolactin, oxytocin, and arginine vasopressin (AVP).
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests direct interactions between multiple pituitary hormones and skeletal tissues.
- The presence of hormone receptors in bone indicates a direct signaling pathway.
Conclusions:
- Pituitary hormones exert direct, ubiquitous functions on the skeleton, challenging traditional views.
- Understanding these direct skeletal actions opens new therapeutic opportunities for metabolic bone diseases, particularly osteoporosis.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Sutures of the Skull
14.0K
The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
14.0K
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
7.8K
The lateral view of the cranium is dominated by temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
7.8K
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
4.1K
The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
4.1K
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
8.5K
The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
8.5K
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
12.9K
Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...
12.9K
01:18The Bone Matrix
6.7K
Bone contains a relatively small number of cells entrenched in a matrix of collagen fibers that provide an adherent surface for inorganic salt crystals. Both components of the matrix, organic and inorganic, contribute to the unusual properties of bone. Without collagen, bones would be brittle and shatter easily. Without mineral crystals, bones would flex and provide little support. This can be observed by an experiment: when the minerals of a bone are dissolved by soaking the bone in...
6.7K