ABSTRACT

Hormones represent a group of neurochemicals that is quite distinct from the neurotransmitters discussed in the preceding chapter. Hormones are produced by the endocrine system which interacts with the nervous system mainly through connections between the hypothalamus and the pituitary just beneath it. The hypothalamus produces some hormones, such as oxytocin, and sends them via its axons as neurotransmitters to the pituitary for storage and release into the bloodstream where they can act on their target tissues. The hypothalamus also produces releasing hormones that reach the pituitary through special arteries and that stimulate the pituitary to produce various other hormones of its own (see Figure 6.1).