Answer:
It is the hypophyseal portal system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pea-sized endocrine gland called the pituitary gland or hypophysis secretes hormones that control many functions of the human body such as growth, metabolism, blood pressure regulation, temperature regulation, pregnancy, childbirth, pain relief, breastfeeding, functions of the sex organs, kidneys and thyroid glands. It consists of anterior and posterior lobes and is located at the bottom of the hypothalamus, which controls the release of pituitary hormones.
The anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) is connected to the hypothalamus by a network of blood vessels called the hypophyseal portal system, which helps in the transport and exchange of hormones between the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland. The hypophyseal portal system consists of a network of primary capillaries in the hypothalamus, a group of small vessels (portal venules) that travel down the stalk, and a complex of secondary capillaries in the anterior pituitary. The releasing hormones such as growth hormone-releasing hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone produced by the hypothalamus are transported through the primary capillaries and portal venules and diffuse out of the secondary capillaries into the anterior pituitary.
These releasing hormones bind to endocrine cells in the anterior pituitary and regulate their release of hormones. The endocrine cells in the anterior pituitary are somatotropes that secrete human growth hormone, corticotropes which secrete adrenocorticotropin, thyrotropes which secrete a thyroid-stimulating hormone, gonadotropes which secrete gonadotropic hormones (luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone) and lactotropes which secrete prolactin.