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The Pituitary Gland

The Pituitary Gland

The pituitary is a small endocrine organ in the sphenoid bone under the hypothalamus. Primarily, the pituitary in adults has two distinct anatomical and functional regions— the anterior and posterior lobes. During human fetal development, a third pituitary gland region called the pars intermedia atrophies and disappears. However, some of its cells migrate and exist adjacent to the anterior pituitary in adults.

Hormones of the Pituitary Gland

Hormones of the Pituitary Gland

The small, pea-sized pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain. It is crucial in regulating various bodily functions, from growth to reproduction. The gland is divided into the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The secretory cell clusters in the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary lobe are controlled by hypothalamic regulators and synthesize six primary hormones.
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...

Diencephalon: Hypothalamus and Coordination

Diencephalon: Hypothalamus and Coordination

The hypothalamus is a small yet highly complex and essential brain region that plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions. Anatomically, it is located at the base of the brain, just above the brainstem and below the thalamus, forming part of the limbic system.
The hypothalamus interacts with other brain regions, including the pituitary gland, through a direct physical connection called the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The hypothalamus receives somatic and visceral inputs and...

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Hormones, the biochemical messengers produced by endocrine glands, are pivotal in regulating bodily functions and maintaining homeostasis. Each hormone's balance is crucial; imbalances can lead to significant physiological disruptions. Major hormones include oxytocin, cortisol, epinephrine, estrogen, testosterone, thyroxine, growth hormone, insulin, and glucagon.
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology

Published on: February 25, 2022

Triple jeopardy in the pituitary.

Kian-Peng Goh¹, Hwei-Yee Lee, Raja C Rajasoorya

¹Department of Medicine, Alexandra Hospital, 378 Alexandra Road, 159964, Singapore, Singapore.

|December 7, 2007

Summary

This rare case details a patient who developed an aggressive pituitary tumor following Cushing's disease, pituitary apoplexy, and surgery. It offers insights into aggressive pituitary tumor pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Neuro-oncology
Pathology

Background:

Aggressive pituitary tumors are uncommon, with poorly understood origins.
Pituitary tumor development post-apoplexy is a rarely documented event.

Observation:

A 31-year-old male with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome, unresponsive to initial surgery, underwent bilateral adrenalectomy.
The patient experienced pituitary apoplexy, followed by the emergence of a null-cell pituitary tumor.
This subsequent tumor displayed aggressive characteristics, including local invasion and systemic metastasis.

Findings:

This case documents the first reported instance of Cushing's disease transforming into an aggressive, invasive null-cell pituitary tumor.
The tumor's development occurred sequentially after pituitary irradiation, apoplexy, and surgical intervention.

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Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas

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Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology

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Published on: February 25, 2022

Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Hypophysitis in SJL Mice

Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Hypophysitis in SJL Mice

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Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas

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Published on: January 17, 2018

The findings support hypotheses linking aggressive pituitary tumor pathogenesis to surviving adenoma cells post-apoplexy or de novo carcinoma development.

Implications:

Provides critical evidence for understanding the development of aggressive pituitary tumors.
Highlights potential pathways for pituitary tumor progression, including post-apoplexy transformation.
Suggests novel therapeutic strategies may be needed for aggressive pituitary neoplasms.