Intro | Anterior Pituitary | Adrenal Glands | Ovaries | Pancreas | Posterior Pituitary | Testes | Thyroid
Part 1: Image-Mapped Tutorial
Part 2: Matching Self-Test
Part 3: Multiple-Choice Self-Test
The Posterior Pituitary is the rear portion of the "master gland" located deep in the cranium at the base of the brain. It produces and secretes hormones that regulate water and salt metabolism.
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The posterior pituitary is technically an extension of the neuronal tissue of the hypothalamus. The posterior pituitary hormones, vasopressin and oxytocin, are produced by neuronal cell bodies located in the hypothalamus. These hormones are transported down the axons of the same neurons where they accumulate in the axonal endings located in the posterior pituitary, and are stored until their release. Vasopressin causes constriction of blood vessel walls, thereby raising blood pressure when needed. Oxytocin causes contraction of the smooth muscle in the walls of the uterus and the milk ducts of the mammary glands, and is released at high levels during childbirth, nursing, and to a lesser extend during sexual orgasm. Oxytocin is also involved in the modulation of some parental, caregiving behaviors.