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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2014 Dec 10;0:178–196. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.11.007

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Schematic of the overall relationships between the brain and components of the endocrine system in the regulation of maternal behavior. The actions of hormones secreted by the pituitary (Pit) gland or peripheral endocrine (E) tissues, such as the ovaries, adrenal glands, and placenta, act upon key neural sites within the hypothalamus (Hypo) and other brain regions in the central nervous system (CNS) to stimulate and modulate the expression of maternal behavior. Moreover, intrinsic neurochemical systems within the hypothalamus that are regulated by hormones as well as sensory inputs act centrally to affect maternal care. The actual “neuroendocrine” link between the Hypo and the Pit mediates the release and subsequent actions of neuroactive hormones as part of a feedback system or loop.