GnRH stimulates the anterior pituitary to release which hormones?

• A. Estrogen and Progesterone
• B. FSH and LH
• C. GnRH and ACTH
• D. TSH and prolactin

Answer: (B)

GnRH's job is to signal the anterior pituitary to release the gonadotropins. When GnRH pulses reach the pituitary, they stimulate gonadotroph cells to secrete FSH and LH. These two hormones then act on the gonads to drive gamete development and the production of sex steroids. GnRH itself doesn’t directly cause ovarian estrogen and progesterone release; those are produced downstream in response to FSH and LH. Other hormone pairs listed come from different parts of the pituitary or are regulated by different hypothalamic signals (for example, ACTH is driven by CRH, and TSH/prolactin are controlled by other factors). So the hormones released by the anterior pituitary in response to GnRH are FSH and LH.