The Hypothalamus and Anterior PituitaryThe hypothalamus is a part of the brain that has direct control over the release of hormones from the pituitary gland. These hormones are called regulatory hormones. They are considered regulatory hormones because they are molecules secreted into the blood to regulate the secretion of anterior pituitary hormones (McKinley 669). Regulatory hormones are produced in the hypothalamus and travel to the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland; they then influence target organs to produce certain functions in the body, and Graves' disease is related to this process. The anterior pituitary gland is an endocrine gland controlled by the hypothalamus in several ways. Releasing and release-inhibiting hormones are synthesized in the paraventricular, periventricular, and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. They control anterior pituitary hormone secretion. Paravocellular neurons in these nuclei send their axons into the tuberoinfundibular tract and terminate on a capillary bed of the superior pituitary arteries located around the base of the median eminence. A given paravocellular neuron may release one or more releasing factors into capillaries that flow into six to ten small straight veins that form the pituitary-portal blood circulation that descends along the infundibular peduncle and forms a second capillary plexus around the anterior pituitary. The releasing hormones gain access to the five distinct target cell types in the anterior pituitary in the capillary bed which then drains into the systemic circulation and transports the hormones to peripheral target tissues. Target tissues are stimulated to produce final mediating hormones that induce physiological... paper medium..., weight loss and brittle hair. This disease cannot be cured but controlled (Nordquist). In conclusion, the body is a complex structure controlled largely by the hypothalamus. In these different functions, hormones and the anterior pituitary gland still play specific roles for the organism to maintain homeostasis; if any part of these functions goes out of control, the body will develop various diseases or abnormalities such as Graves' disease. Works Cited Dougherty, Patrick. Hypothalamic control of pituitary hormone”. Neuroscience.UTHealth. nd Web. January 26, 2014. McKinley, Micheal, O'Loughlin, and Bidle Theresa. Anatomy and Physiology An integrative approach. New York: McGraw Hill, 2013. Print.Nordiquist, Christian. “What is Graves' disease? What causes Graves' disease." MNT website. Np and Web. January 26. 2014.