Pituitary Gland- Hypophysis- Master Gland




Pituitary Gland- Hypophysis- Master Gland

  • Pituitary gland is also known as hypophysis; situated below hypothalamus
  • Size: 1 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick
  • Location: close to optic chiasma in the depression of sphenoid bone
  • Pituitary gland has two lobe-anterior and posterior lobe. In between them there is a small region called pars intermedia or intermediate lobe.

Anterior lobe (Adenohypophysis):

  • account for 75% of total weight. It consists of functional secretory cell to produce hormones.

Hormones of adenohypophysis

  1. Growth hormone (Somatotropin)

  • -associate with growth and growth rate of body
  • -secretion of GH is controlled by two hormone produced by hypothalamus- Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and Growth hormone inhibiting hormone(GHIH))
  1. Prolactin
  • – In female; stimulate growth of mammary gland and milk production
  • – Inhibit most of the time by Prolactin Inhibiting hormone (PIH) from Hypothalamus
  1. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
  • – stimulate thyroid gland to produce thyroxine
  • -secretion of TSH is controlled by thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and thyrotropin inhibitin hormone (TIH) from hypothalamus
  1. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
  • -stimulate adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoids
  • -regulated by corticotropic releasing hormone (CRH) and corticotropic inhibiting hormone (CIH) from hypothalamus
  1. Luteinizing hormone (LH)

  • – stimulate corpus luteum to secrete progesterone and estrogen
  • – In male, LH is known as Interstitial cell stimulating hormone (ICSH),it stimulate Interstitial cell of testis to secrete testosterone
  1. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • – stimulate growth of ovarian follicle and secretion of estrogen
  • – In male, FSH stimulate testis to produce sperm
  1. Melanocytes stimulating hormone (MSH)
  • – stimulate melanocyte formation

 Hormones of Neuro-hypophysis

  • It doesnot synthesize hormone, rather it stores the hormones produced by hypothalamus
  1. Vasopressin (Anti-diuretic hormone)
  • -help in osmoregulation
  • – increase permeability of PCT, and stimulate reabsorption of water
  • – Inhibit by alcohol
  1. Oxytocin

  • Stimulus uterus contraction during child birth, milk ejection

Pituitary Gland- Hypophysis- Master Gland




1 Comment

  1. What is the difference between melanin and melanocyte sir?does MSH stimulate production of melanin or melanocyte?

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