Most tropic hormones are produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary.
[1]: 719 The hypothalamus secretes tropic hormones that target the anterior pituitary, and the thyroid gland secretes thyroxine, which targets the hypothalamus and therefore can be considered a tropic hormone.
[2] The term tropic is from Ancient Greek τροπικός (tropikós), in the sense "of or pertaining to a turn or change", meaning "causing a change, affecting"; this is the same origin as tropic and trope.
[3] Tropic hormones are contrasted with non-tropic hormones, which directly stimulate target cells.
Tropic hormones from the anterior pituitary include: In turn, the hypothalamus controls the release of hormones from the anterior pituitary by secreting a class of hypothalamic neurohormones called releasing and release-inhibiting hormones—which are released to the hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system and act on the anterior pituitary.