Herring bodies or neurosecretory bodies are structures found in the
posterior pituitary. They represent the terminal end of the
axons from the
hypothalamus, and
hormones
A hormone (from the Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physiology and behavior. Hormones a ...
are temporarily stored in these locations. They are
neurosecretory terminals.
(ADH) and
oxytocin
Oxytocin is a peptide hormone and neuropeptide normally produced in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary. Present in animals since early stages of evolution, in humans it plays roles in behavior that include Human bonding, ...
are both stored in Herring bodies, but are not stored simultaneously in the same Herring body.
In addition, each Herring body also contains ATP and a type of
neurophysin
Neurophysins are carrier proteins which transport the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin to the posterior pituitary from the paraventricular nucleus, paraventricular and supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus, respectively. Inside the Neurosecretory ...
. Neurophysins are binding proteins, of which there are two types:
neurophysin I and
neurophysin II, which bind to oxytocin and ADH, respectively. Neurophysin and its hormone become a complex considered a single protein and stored in the neurohypophysis. Upon stimulation by the hypothalamus, secretory granules release stored hormones into the bloodstream. Fibers from supraoptic nuclei are concerned with ADH secretion; paraventricular nuclei with oxytocin.
This anatomical structure was first described by
Percy Theodore Herring in 1908.
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Histology