Corticotropes are bosses! These pituitary cells send a message to your adrenal glands that says: make cortisol, the hormone that helps you get going and handle tough days.
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Corticotropes (say KOR-tih-koh-tropes) live in the front part of your pituitary gland, just under your brain.
They make a hormone called ACTH. That's short for a very long name, so everyone just says the letters.
Your brain tells corticotropes when to send ACTH out into the blood.
ACTH is cut out of a much bigger protein, like snipping one piece off a long ribbon. The other pieces become other useful molecules!
ACTH travels in the blood down to your adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys.
There, it tells cortisol-making cells to get to work. Cortisol helps your body have energy, keeps your blood sugar steady, and helps you handle stress, like being sick or a big test.
Cortisol is usually highest in the morning. That helps you wake up and get going!
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Send ACTH.