This article may be too technical for most readers to understand.(September 2023) |
Pituitary gland | |
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Details | |
Precursor | Neural and oral ectoderm, including Rathke's pouch |
Artery | Superior hypophyseal artery, infundibular artery, prechiasmal artery, inferior hypophyseal artery, capsular artery, artery of the inferior cavernous sinus[1] |
Identifiers | |
Latin | hypophysis cerebri, glandula pituitaria |
MeSH | D010902 |
NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1353 |
TA98 | A11.1.00.001 |
TA2 | 3853 |
FMA | 13889 |
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy |
The pituitary gland or hypophysis is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain, protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus. The human pituitary gland is oval shaped, about the size of a chickpea,[2] and weighs 0.5 grams (0.018 oz) on average.
Hormones secreted from the pituitary gland help to control growth, blood pressure, energy management, all functions of the sex organs, thyroid gland, metabolism, as well as some aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, water/salt concentration at the kidneys, temperature regulation, and pain relief.
The gland in humans is described in Wikipedia as being the size of a pea. So common is this description that it seemed likely to be wrong, as I confirmed by examining a selection of peas. Wikipedia also gives the weight of the human pituitary as about half a gram, and in this it is more correct. The pituitary in a human is at least five times the average size of my peas; it is more like the size of a chickpea.
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