pituitary gland: Quick Facts

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Also Known As	hypophysis • hypophysis cerebri

Photos and Videos

Labeled diagram of a mammalian pituitary gland showing key structures, including the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, neurosecretory cells, blood vessels, and pathways for hormone release and blood flow.

Labeled anatomical diagram of the human brain in sagittal section, medial view, showing internal structures such as the corpus callosum, cerebellum, ventricles, brainstem, and other key regions.

Gonadotroph cell

Diagram showing the relationships among vertebrate endocrine glands, including the pituitary-hypothalamus system, pituitary hormones and their endocrine targets, and feedback loops. Arrows connect the hypothalamus and pituitary to glands such as the thyroid, ovary, testis, adrenal cortex, adrenal medulla, parathyroid, ultimobranchial gland, gastrointestinal organs, and pancreas, with major hormones labeled for each gland.

Diagram showing three human silhouettes of different heights representing the effects of too much, the right amount, and too little growth hormone (GH) produced by the pituitary gland, with insets illustrating the gland's location in the brain and its role in controlling height.

neurosecretory cell

Diagram showing the female reproductive system with labeled ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina, alongside hormone pathways and the process from ovulation to fertilization and early embryo development.

Major glands of the human endocrine system. The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland and influences food intake, weight regulation, fluid intake and balance, thirst, body heat, and the sleep cycle. Pituitary hormones stimulate growth, egg and sperm development, milk secretion, and release of hormones by other glands. The pineal gland may play a significant role in sexual maturation and the circadian rhythm. Thyroid hormones regulate the metabolic rate of tissues, stimulate the contraction of heart muscle, and are necessary for normal growth and brain development before birth and during infancy. Parathyroid hormone regulates calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels. The adrenal glands regulate salt and water retention, some reactions of the immune system, and blood pressure. The islets of Langerhans regulate blood sugar levels. The ovaries and testes produce hormones that regulate the reproductive system and that produce male and female secondary sex characteristics.

The principal glands of the female and male human endocrine systems.

Diagram of the human brain highlighting the pineal gland within the endocrine system, with labeled structures including the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, optic chiasm, pituitary gland, and third ventricle.

Learn the importance of the ten glands of the human endocrine system

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Topics

posterior pituitary lobe anterior pituitary lobe median eminence pars distalis pars intermedia lactotroph somatotroph gonadotroph Growth hormone neuroendocrine cell ovary thyroid gland adrenal gland pancreas hypothalamus testis pineal gland thymus parathyroid gland kidney

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