Figure 36a - Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland Anatomy

Intro

Figure 36a:	Anterior Lobe of the Pituitary | Bone at the base of the Cranial Cavity | Hypothalamus | Membrane Covering around the Brain | Optic Chiasm | Pituitary Stalk | Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary
Figure 36b:	Anterior | Posterior

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The Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary contains the axon endings of neurons whose cell bodies are located in the hypothalamus. The axon endings release hormonal secretions produced in the cell bodies. The posterior pituitary is actually an outgrowth of hypothalamic tissue, and not technically glandular tissue.

The formal anatomical name for the posterior pituitary is "neurohypophysis", named so because of its neural origin (Parent, 1996).

Parent, A. (1996). Carpenter's human neuroanatomy (9th ed.). London: Williams & Wilkins.