Posterior Pituitary Hormones Are Synthesized by Cell Bodies in the Hypothalamus. The bodies of the cells that secrete the posterior pituitary
hormones are not located in the pituitary gland itself but are large neurons,called magnocellular neurons, located in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus.
Hypothalamus Controls Pituitary Secretion Almost all secretion by the pituitary is controlled by either hormonal
or nervous signals from the hypothalamus. Indeed, when the pituitary gland is removed from its
normal position beneath the hypothalamus and transplanted to some other part of the body, its rates of
secretion of the different hormones (except for prolactin) fall to very low levels. Secretion from the
posterior pituitary is controlled by nerve signals that originate in the hypothalamus and terminate in the
posterior pituitary. In contrast, secretion by the anterior pituitary is controlled by hormones
calledhypothalamic releasing and hypothalamic inhibitory hormones (or factors) secreted within the
hypothalamus and then conducted, as shown in
