The thalamus sits above the hypothalamus, and the hypothalamus sits above the pituitary gland. That area at the base of the brain down to the pituitary is the centre of neurosecretion. Some neurosecretory cells of the hypothalamus produce hormones such as oxytocin and vasopressin. These hormones are released into the blood in the posterior pituitary. It is the main way the nervous system controls the hormones in our bodies.