Pituitary

The pituitary is a small gland located below the brain in the skull base, in an area called the pituitary fossa or sella turcica. The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland regulated by a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, to which it is connected by a thin connection called the pituitary stalk or infundibulum. Weighing less than one gram and measuring one centimeter in width, the pituitary gland is often called the "master gland" since it controls the secretion of many of the body’s hormones. When released by the pituitary into the blood stream, these substances have a dramatic and broad range of effects:

●Growth Hormone (GH):  body and brain development, bone maturation, metabolism, healthy muscles.

●Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH): production of sex hormones

 ●Prolactin (PRL): stimulates secretion of breast milk.

●Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH): stimulates the thyroid gland.

●Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH):  triggers the adrenal glands (located above the kidneys) to release cortisol which in turn, regulates carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, and is essential in the stress response.

●Vasopressin – Also called anti-diuretic hormone (ADH): promotes water to be reabsorbed by the kidneys.