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Where are oxytocin and vasopressin made before they reach the posterior pituitary?

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Oxytocin and vasopressin are synthesized and packaged into neurosecretory granules within the cell bodies of two specific pairs of nuclei located in the hypothalamus: the supraoptic nuclei and the paraventricular nuclei.12

Once synthesized, these hormones are transported through axons that extend down through the infundibular stalk. They are then stored in the nerve endings of the posterior pituitary gland until they are released into the bloodstream in response to specific neural signals.12