Anterior Pituitary Gland

The gonads are the male and female reproductive organs, the testes (males) and ovaries (females). The testes and ovaries produce androgens (testosterone) and estrogens, these hormones affect aggressiveness, mood, and sexual interest and behavior. Higher levels of these hormones have been shown to promote aggressiveness in both sexes (Morris and Maisto, 2002).

Gonadotropins are a group of hormones that are secreted by the pituitary gland that starts the production of the gonads. The reason gonadotropins are used in fertility is because it has FSH and LH hormone that aids in producing eggs in order for a woman to ovulate. So in other words, if a women does not have enough hormone to start ovulation she will be given a rFSH for about 12 days to help the eggs mature and then a dose of gonadotropin to start the ovulation process.

This system enables specific signals to be sent and received by cells and tissues that are distant from one another. The endocrine system controls activities that take place in the body by releasing mediators, which are known as hormones. A mediator molecule can also be known as a hormone and it is released into one specific part of the body and normalizes the activity of cells in other parts of the body. Once a hormone is released it is transported to the target cells through the circulating blood in our bodies. Hormones in the body are significant in the processes of regulating growth, development, metabolism and

Cortisol production is stimulated by ACTH secretion from the anterior pituitary via numerous feedback mechanisms according to the circadian rhythm, with peak levels in the early morning and smaller fluctuations throughout the day. ACTH secretion is stimulated by CRH in the hypothalamus which is stimulated by things such as: decreases in plasma cortisol, hypoglycemia, stress, and infection. Secretion of ACTH leads to conversion of cholesterol to cortisol in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal gland via various cytochrome P450 enzymes. Increased levels of cortisol itself cause negative feedback on the pituitary and hypothalamus. The zona glomerulosa is the site of production of Aldosterone, the principal mineralocorticoid, via similar mechanisms (cytochrome p 450.) Aldosterone production is stimulated by activation of the renin angiotensin system in response to decreased intravascular volume (sensed by baroreceptors), decreased sodium levels sensed in the macula densa of the nephron, and by the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress.

These changes are typically brought on by hormonal fluxes that control the different phases of the cycle in order to ovulate a mature oocyte. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days in length and progresses through four distinct phases, each with its own regulatory hormone. The phases and their associated days are as follows: menstruation, or the early follicular phase (days 1–4), late follicular phase (days 5–11), periovulation (days 12–15) and the luteal phase (days 16–28). 1 The major hormonal secretion sites are the hypothalamus, which secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the pituitary, which secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), and the ovaries, which secrete estrogens and progesterone. Of the three types of estrogen involved in the menstrual cycle, estradiol, estrone and estriol, estradiol is considered the most potent and is known as E1.2 In lieu of discussing the many hormonal fluctuations of a typical menstrual cycle, a diagram has been included to display the oscillations of the hormones described

Negative feedback is important in regulating hormone levels in the blood. There are three groups of hormones: steroid hormones including sex hormones, amino acid derivatives like epinephrine and peptide hormones like insulin.

The testes are two ovular organs found in the male reproductive system. They are held in place by a spermatic cord, which is a collection of vessels, nerves and ducts that run from more than one part of the testes. The testes function to create the hormone testosterone; a primary male sex hormone which generates the production of sperm. The seminiferous tubules which are located in the testes are responsible for the production of sperm cells, and the sperm made in this process line the tubules until they reach maturity and are released into the lumen of the seminiferous tubule.

The endocrine system is a group of glands distributed throughout the human body. This group of glands secretes substances called hormones. These hormones are dumping into the bloodstream (Shier, Butler & Lewis, 2009). The endocrine system does not have a single anatomic location. It is dispersed throughout the human body. The final purpose of this process is to control, regulate, and coordinate the functioning of the human body. Some body functions can be activated or inhibited by hormones, which are secreted in very small quantities. The hormone related diseases may be due to hyper secretion, or a hypo secretion. The hormones secreted by the endocrine glands regulate growth, development and function of many tissues, and coordinate the

There are two parts to the pituitary gland, the anterior pituitary and the posterior pituitary.  The anterior pituitary has two types of chromophils, acidophilus and basophils.  These two are separated into different classes of cells that have differing secretory products and aim for different organs.  The anterior pituitary discharges five different types of hormone, somatotrophs, mammotrophs, corticotrophs, tyrotrophs, and gonadotrophs.  The posterior pituitary only releases two hormones, antidiuretic

The endocrine system in the human body stores a chemical known as hormones. Hormones are released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream and travel throughout the body carrying messages. A hormonal impulse is similar to a nerve impulse only much slower. The messages carried by the hormones trigger different behaviors. Hormones can affect behavior in many ways such as: Mental activity or tiredness, boredom or excitement, sexual

Hypogonadism is a condition characterized by the inability of the testes to produce testosterone. The condition also results when the pituitary gland is unable to release LH. Doctors most commonly recommend testosterone therapy which involves the ingestion or injection of testosterone into the body in specified doses as a treatment procedure for hypogonadism. According to Bassil, Alkaade, and Morley (2009), one of the most common effects of testosterone on males is improved sexual desire and performance. The researchers report that men exhibiting greater sexual activity have relatively higher amounts of testosterone than their counterpart who experience problems in their sex lives (Bassil et al., 2009). Ideally, testosterone deficiency is associated with men sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, and low libido. Furthermore, citing a research by Wang et al., Bassil et al. (2009) point out that the there is a threshold for the effects that when exceeded results into no notable effect on the men’s sexual

and the FSH stimulates these follicles to secrete oestrogens. Once oestrogen levels reach a certain

The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) refers to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonadal glands. The hypothalamus is located in the brain and secretes GnRH. In response to GnRH stimulation these cells produce LH and FSH, which travel into the blood stream. These two hormones communicate to the gonads. Sex steroids affect behavior.

The hormones that the ovaries produce are estrogen and progesterone, which are mandatory for healthy reproduction. Also the hormone androgen plays a role in the regulation of normal ovarian function. Androgen is the male hormone but it is very important in a woman’s reproductive health. Androgen becomes a problem in the woman when too much is produced and stops ovulation. A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have for the rest of her life. At the time of ovulation, the egg develops and is called a follicle. In those follicles, a small amount of fluid is starting to gather. If the egg goes into full maturity and ovulation happens, the follicle will become enlarged. Each month during the normal ovarian cycle some follicles will begin to develop but never make it to ovulation.

Folliculogenesis is the production of follicles in the ovaries of female reproductive system. Every month females go through their ovarian cycle, in which the ovaries produce follicles that help to carry out the egg cell necessary for reproduction. This egg cell is carried out to be fertilized by a sperm cell received from males during sexual intercourse. If the egg cell is not fertilized by the sperm cell, then the female ends up going through the menstrual cycle in which the egg is expelled and the monthly bleeding begins and persists its monthly course. The topic of folliculogenesis may be overlooked, but when researching about the topic it is seen how important this cycle is in reproduction. This cycle lays out the platform for reproduction every month, without this cycle the proper hormones would not be able to be produced in the system.