Anatomic relationships of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Hormones released from the hypothalamus are released into the median eminence and then move down the pituitary stalk to the pituitary gland. Antidiuretic hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone are secreted by the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, gonadotropin-releasing hormone by the preoptic area, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone by the anterior hypothalamus.
