The anterior pituitary gland is controlled by hormones produced by the .

The anterior pituitary gland is controlled by hormones produced by the hypothalamus.

Here are the steps of how this control works:

1. The hypothalamus, a part of the brain, produces and releases hormones into a small blood vessel system that directly connects it to the anterior pituitary gland. This system is called the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system.

2. These hormones are called releasing hormones because they signal the anterior pituitary gland to produce and release its own hormones.

3. For example, the hypothalamus produces thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which signals the anterior pituitary gland to produce and release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

4. TSH then travels in the bloodstream to the thyroid gland, where it stimulates the production and release of thyroid hormones.

5. The hypothalamus also produces inhibiting hormones, which signal the anterior pituitary gland to stop producing certain hormones.

6. For example, the hypothalamus produces somatostatin, which inhibits the anterior pituitary gland from producing growth hormone.

7. This system of hormonal control allows the hypothalamus to regulate many important physiological processes, including growth, metabolism, and stress response.