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Pharmacology · chapter 26 · Hypothalamus, Pituitary, and Adrenal Disorder Drugs

Introduction to the Adrenal Cortex, Pituitary, and Hypothalamus

The 14 things this section of the textbook says that you are most likely to be asked about — quoted word for word, not retold. Then 6 practice questions with the reasoning.

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Key points

  1. What the hypothalamus controls

    The hypothalamus controls a range of essential physiological processes, including body temperature, hunger and thirst, water and electrolyte balance, blood pressure, heart rate, sleep and wake cycles, and reproductive behaviors.

  2. Hypothalamus steers the pituitary

    Additionally, the hypothalamus plays a crucial role in regulating the release of hormones from the pituitary gland, which controls many endocrine functions throughout the body.

  3. How hypothalamic hormones act

    These hormones are released into the bloodstream and travel to their target organs or glands, where they stimulate or inhibit the release of other hormones or regulate various physiological processes.

  4. Why it is the master gland

    The pituitary, also known as the hypophysis, is located at the base of the brain and is often referred to as the “master gland” because it controls the secretion of hormones by many other glands.

  5. Anterior pituitary roles

    The anterior pituitary hormones play essential roles in regulating growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, and stress response (Alatzoglou et al., 2020).

  6. Posterior pituitary stores two hormones

    Unlike the anterior pituitary, it does not synthesize its own hormones, but stores and releases two hormones produced by the hypothalamus: oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also known as human vasopressin.

  7. Oxytocin and ADH actions

    Oxytocin is involved in the contraction of the uterus during childbirth and breast milk ejection during breastfeeding. ADH regulates water balance in the body by controlling the amount of water reabsorbed in the kidneys (Alatzoglou et al., 2020).

  8. The pituitary's main job

    The pituitary’s primary function is to produce and secrete hormones that act on various organs and tissues throughout the body.

  9. Adrenal medulla and stress

    The adrenal medulla is the inner layer of the adrenal glands and is important for producing epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress.

  10. Three layers of the adrenal cortex

    The outermost layer is called the zona glomerulosa; the middle layer is called the zona fasciculate; and the innermost layer is called the zona reticularis.

  11. What adrenal cortex hormones regulate

    These hormones maintain the body’s internal environment by regulating electrolyte, pH, and water balance; glucose metabolism; and immune function.

  12. The HPA axis

    The hypothalamus releases CRH, which stimulates the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH then triggers the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, which regulates various physiological processes and helps the body cope with stress.

  13. Mineralocorticoids

    Mineralocorticoids: produced in the zona glomerulosa, these help regulate the balance of electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium, in the body as well as water balance.

  14. Glucocorticoids

    Glucocorticoids: produced in the the zona fasciculate, these help regulate metabolism, immune function, and the body’s response to stress.

Terms to know

adenohypophysis
The anterior pituitary, also known as the adenohypophysis, is the front part of the pituitary.
neurohypophysis
The posterior pituitary, also known as the neurohypophysis, is the back part of the pituitary.

Practice questions

Stuck on select-all-that-apply? How to take them one option at a time.

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Every question here, with the answer

  1. A client has a disorder affecting the posterior pituitary. Which hormone problem should the nurse anticipate?

    1. Too little growth hormone
    2. Low follicle-stimulating hormone
    3. Too much thyroid-stimulating hormone
    4. Disturbed release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

    Answer: Disturbed release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

    The posterior pituitary stores and releases oxytocin and ADH made by the hypothalamus, so its disorders disturb ADH. Growth hormone, TSH, and FSH come from the anterior pituitary.

  2. A client with a disorder of ADH release has abnormal urine output. Which explanation of ADH's role is accurate?

    1. ADH triggers uterine contractions.
    2. ADH stimulates the thyroid gland.
    3. ADH controls how much water the kidneys reabsorb.
    4. ADH produces cortisol.

    Answer: ADH controls how much water the kidneys reabsorb.

    ADH regulates water balance by controlling the amount of water reabsorbed in the kidneys. Uterine contraction is oxytocin's role, TSH acts on the thyroid, and cortisol comes from the adrenal cortex.

  3. A client's lab work shows abnormal sodium and potassium from an adrenal problem. Which hormones are most directly involved?

    1. Oxytocin from the posterior pituitary
    2. Prolactin from the pituitary
    3. Androgens from the zona reticularis
    4. Mineralocorticoids from the zona glomerulosa

    Answer: Mineralocorticoids from the zona glomerulosa

    Mineralocorticoids, produced in the zona glomerulosa, regulate electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium, and water balance. Androgens, prolactin, and oxytocin have other roles.

  4. A nurse is caring for a client with hypothalamic damage after a brain injury. Which functions might be disturbed? Select all that apply.

    1. Water and electrolyte balance
    2. Thirst
    3. Production of bile
    4. Body temperature
    5. Sleep and wake cycles

    Answer: Water and electrolyte balance, Thirst, Body temperature, Sleep and wake cycles

    The hypothalamus controls body temperature, hunger and thirst, water and electrolyte balance, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep and wake cycles. Bile production is not a hypothalamic function.

  5. A student asks what happens in the HPA axis during stress. Which sequence is correct?

    1. Thyroid releases TSH, adrenal glands release ADH
    2. Adrenal glands release CRH, pituitary releases cortisol, hypothalamus releases ACTH
    3. Hypothalamus releases CRH, pituitary releases ACTH, adrenal glands produce cortisol
    4. Pituitary releases CRH, hypothalamus releases ACTH, kidneys produce cortisol

    Answer: Hypothalamus releases CRH, pituitary releases ACTH, adrenal glands produce cortisol

    The hypothalamus releases CRH, which stimulates the pituitary to release ACTH, which triggers the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. The other sequences reverse or misplace the steps.

  6. Which body functions are regulated by hormones of the adrenal cortex? Select all that apply.

    1. Breast milk production
    2. Electrolyte balance
    3. Immune function
    4. Glucose metabolism
    5. pH and water balance

    Answer: Electrolyte balance, Immune function, Glucose metabolism, pH and water balance

    Adrenal cortex hormones regulate electrolyte, pH, and water balance, glucose metabolism, and immune function. Breast milk production is stimulated by prolactin from the pituitary.

Where every quote comes from

Section 26.1 Introduction to the Adrenal Cortex, Pituitary, and Hypothalamus of Pharmacology for Nurses by Tina Barbour-Taylor, Leah Mueller (Sabato), Donna Paris, Dorie Weaver, OpenStax, 2024. Read the whole section free at openstax.org.

The textbook is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. This page quotes it word for word and adds the headings, the order and the practice questions; references to the book's figures and stray spaces left by its formatting are removed. The page is shared under the same licence. Nothing here is sold.