Prolactin is a peptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. Its name reveals its primary function: 'pro-' meaning for, and '-lactin' referring to milk. Its major role is to stimulate and maintain milk production (lactation) in the mammary glands after childbirth. During pregnancy, high levels of estrogen and progesterone prepare the breasts for lactation, but they inhibit milk secretion. After delivery, the sudden drop in these hormones allows prolactin to initiate and sustain milk production. Prolactin release is primarily under inhibitory control by dopamine from the hypothalamus; suckling by an infant stimulates prolactin secretion by reducing this dopamine inhibition. While prolactin has other minor roles in metabolism and immune function, its essential function is in lactation.

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Zambia

• Joseph Soko – 101 pts

• Visual Pathway Lesions
• Positive and Negative Symptoms
• Hallucinations and Delusions
• Antipsychotic Medications
• Emergency: Environmental Emergencies