What is the pituitary gland

What is the pituitary gland

The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland, the size of which is the size of a pea, which is a bulge off the lower part of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. It is located in the pit of the bone called pituitary cavity, which is behind the bridge of the nose and under the base of the brain close to the optic nerves, and the pituitary gland is the regulator of all the processes of manufacturing and secretion of hormones in the body, so it has been called some scientists the title of Lady glands. They produce and manufacture many of the hormones that they send to all parts of the body. These hormones act to direct or stimulate other glands to produce their hormones on orders they receive from the hypothalamus gland. The pituitary gland consists of three lobes: Anterior lobe, midriff and posterior lobe . Each part of these parts secrete or produce different hormones, each of which has an important function in the body.

The following hormones are produced in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland:

  • Prolactin hormone ; Which stimulates the production of milk in the woman’s breast after birth. It also affects the levels of sex hormones that are produced from ovaries in women and from the testicles in men, thus affecting fertility in men and women.
  • Growth hormone (GH) ; Which works to stimulate growth during childhood, which is important in maintaining healthy body formation. It is also important in adults to maintain muscle mass and bone mass, and also affects the distribution of body fat.
  • Adrenal cortex hormone (ACTH) ; Which works to stimulate the production of cortisol hormone (stress hormone) of the adrenal glands, which is very vital to our survival. This hormone works to maintain blood pressure levels and blood sugar.
  • Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) , Which stimulates the thyroid gland to produce and secrete hormones that control the metabolism and activity of the nervous system.
  • Melatonin or activated hormone of the yellow body (LH) , Stimulates ovulation in women and stimulates the production of testosterone in men.
  • Activated hormone for ovarian follicles (FSH) , Promotes the production of sperm in men and urged ovaries in women to produce the hormone estrogen and the development and growth of the egg.

The hormones, which activate the yellow and active body of the ovary follicles, work together to enable the ovaries and testes to function normally.

B – Hormones stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland:

  • Antihypertensive hormone (ADH) It is also called Vasopressin, a word derived from vascular and pressing. This name is called to control and regulate the water levels in the body by pumping the excess amount through the kidneys to get out. With urine, or re-absorption of renal nephrons and thus reduce the amount of water that comes out in the urine.
  • Oxytocin , Which is derived from the Latin word means rapid birth, which has been called because it helps to increase contractions of the uterus during childbirth, as the contraction of the uterus urges the pituitary gland to secrete this hormone, which works to increase the strength of the number of interviews, and continue for the duration of the effort Birth). It also works on the flow of milk from breast feeding.

C- Hormones produced in the middle lobe (the region between the front and back lobes) of the pituitary gland:

In general, the middle lobe is not a clear part of quadrilateral animals such as humans, it is a layer of cells located between the front and back lobe. In lower-caliber animals, such as fish, this area is a clear part of the pituitary gland and responsible for the color changes in these animals. In contrast, this part does not exist originally in birds. The human lobe produces the hormone melanin (MSH), which is called intermedin in relation to its middle lobe. One of the functions of this hormone is to stimulate the production and release of melanin in the responsible cells found in the skin and hair, and also from its functions and responsibilities send signals to the brain to influence the body’s appetite for food and influence sexual desire.

All of these important functions can be disrupted in the event of a tumor in the pituitary gland either to increase the hormones produced by the pituitary gland, or to inhibit production, and I will leave here for your imagination to realize the magnitude of disasters that may occur for pituitary tumors.