Located at the base of the skull, the pituitary gland is protected by a bony structure called the sella turcica.
The pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea that sits in the small, bony cavity (sella turcica) at the base of the brain. Its posterior lobe is connected to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus via the tuberoinfundibular pathway. The anterior pituitary lobe receives releasing hormones from the hypothalamus via a portal vein system. The pituitary gland secretes hormones regulating a wide variety of bodily activities, including trophic hormones that stimulate other endocrine glands. For a while, this led scientists to call it the master gland, but now we know that it is in fact regulated by releasing hormones from the hypothalamus. It is physically attached to the brain by the pituitary, or hypophyseal, stalk connected with the median eminence.
The pituitary gland is divided into two sections: the anterior lobe (adenohypophysis) and the posterior lobe (neurohypophysis). The posterior pituitary is, in effect, a projection of the hypothalamus. It does not produce its own hormones, but only stores and releases the hormones oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH).
There is also an intermediate lobe in many animals. In adult humans it is just a thin layer of cells between the anterior and posterior pituitary, nearly indistinguishable from the anterior lobe. The intermediate lobe produces melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), although this function is often (imprecisely) attributed to the anterior pituitary.
Functions
The pituitary gland helps control the following body processes:
The pituitary is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that functions as "The Master Gland." From its lofty position above the rest of the body it sends signals to the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries and testes, directing them to produce thyroidhormone, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and many more.
Pituitary disorders can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms, both hormonal and neurological, due to its location near the brain, the intracranial nerves and blood vessels and because of the vital hormonal control that the gland provides.
Pituitarytumors can either be nonfunctional (that is they do not secrete hormones) or produce specific hormones, such as prolactin (causing infertility, decreased libido, and osteoporosis), growth hormone (causing acromegaly), ACTH (causing Cushing's), TSH (causing hypothyroidism), or be nonfunctional (that is they do not produce hormones).
The pituitary gland is a kidney bean shaped structure attached to the base of the brain (behind the nose), where it is protected by a small part of the skull called the sphenoid bone.
The pituitary gland is made up of two different regions, the "anterior pituitary" -- the part of the gland closest to the front of the head -- and the "posterior pituitary" -- the part of the gland closest to the back of the head.
Pituitaryadenomas are benign tumors (meaning that they are non-cancerous and do not travel to other parts of the body) that arise exclusively within the anterior pituitary.
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