Pituitary portal system
Chapter: 21
Hypothalamic hormones stimulating or inhibiting pituitary anterior lobe function reach the gland through veins coming from the hypothalamus. Since the hypophysis receives these rare afferent veins, they share this distinction with the portal vein system of the liver which brings blood to an organ rather than take out blood. (The latter is done by hepatic veins in the liver, and the hypophysis also has efferent veins).
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