image by: HWN

HWN Suggests

The Body’s Quarterback: The Pituitary Gland

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure located in the brain directly behind the eyes. Despite its small size, I think of the pituitary gland as the “quarterback” of the body. This quarterback relays the signals from the “head coach”—a small section of the brain called the hypothalamus—to the rest of the glands of the body. These interactions make up the so-called hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The hormones from the pituitary gland control reproduction, thyroid function, breastfeeding, growth, our stress response and much more.

read full article

Articles of Interest

Mapping the body: pituitary gland

It's no bigger than a pea but it plays a vital role in regulating the body's production of hormones.

In brief: How does the pituitary gland work?

The pituitary gland is about the size of a pea or cherry, and hangs down from the main part of the brain. It regulates various body functions and plays an important role in controlling hormone levels in the body. The pituitary gland does that by making a number of hormones that either regulate most of the other hormone-producing glands in the body or have a direct effect on specific organs. It also controls the involuntary (vegetative) nervous system.

Mapping the body: pituitary gland

Often referred to as "the master gland" because of the crucial role it plays in regulating other hormone- producing centres, the pituitary is no bigger than a pea. It sits in a small, bony cave at the base of the skull and is connected to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus by the pituitary stalk.

Pituitary Facts to Remember

Next time someone asks "What is so special about the pituitary gland?" Your answer should be - EVERYTHING! It is a HUGE issue, but a very small gland!

Pituitary Function Tests

Tests of pituitary function include: •Hormone levels: pituitary hormones are released in pulses and levels fluctuate during the day. A single blood test is usually insufficient to assess a pituitary hormone deficiency properly. •Hormone stimulation tests: the precise protocols for the tests and the defined normal ranges vary between laboratories. Examples of protocols can be found by following the links in the 'Internet and further reading' section at the end of this article. •Visual field check: pituitary tumours may cause visual field defects. •MRI or CT scan of the pituitary and surrounding structures.

Science: Pituitary Master

Above and behind the mouth cavity, tucked into a cradle of bone at the base of the human brain, lies a reddish nugget of tissue, no bigger than a big pea in normal adults—the pituitary gland. Galen, the famed physician of antiquity, and Vesalius, the great anatomist of the Renaissance, knew it. They thought it gave saliva. In 1783 an Irishman named Charles O’Brien died at the age of 22. He was 8 ft. 4 in. tall. A curious physician bought his body for $2,500, dissected the head, found a pituitary gland almost as big as a hen’s egg. Modern endocrinologists regard it as the “master gland” of the body.

The Pituitary Gland: A Pea Sized Gland With A Lot Of Responsibilities

From actions to reactions, your brain helps you control how you experience life each day. While it helps you interact throughout the day, there is a specific pea-sized gland at the base of your brain responsible for sending signals throughout the organs in your body called the pituitary gland. Even though the pituitary gland is a part of a system that guides your body on how to function, it can still make mistakes that can lead to pituitary disorders.

The story of my pituitary tumor, as told by 'Simpsons' screengrabs

I woke up Friday morning with no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt. It was a constant, pulsating ache that ran straight through my head from temple to temple...

Resources

Australian Pituitary Foundation

The Australian Pituitary Foundation Ltd was founded in Sydney in 1994 by pituitary patients and family members, with the endorsement of Australian endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, radiation therapists and endocrine nurses, who saw the need to support people who have rare conditions of the pituitary gland.

Hormones 411

Pituitary tumors-the best kept secret in medicine.

Pituitary Network Association

The PNA is an international non-profit organization for patients with pituitary tumors and disorders, their families, loved ones, and the physicians and health care providers who treat them.

Tanya Angus

Acromegaly and other pituitary diseases can strike anyone! Learn more, learn the truth here...

The Pituitary Foundation

The Pituitary Foundation is a national support and information organisation for pituitary patients, their families, friends and carers. We are the UK's leading charity providing support to people affected by disorders of the pituitary gland such as Acromegaly, Cushing's, Prolactinoma, Diabetes Insipidus and Hypopituitarism.

The Pituitary Society

The Pituitary Society is dedicated to furthering the understanding of diseases of the pituitary gland. Its members are scientists and doctors whose major interest is in pituitary diseases.

Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenoma

A small number of patients with pituitary adenomas have family members with similar disease. Current research suggests that about 5% of patients with pituitary adenomas have inherited this condition.

Pituitary Ademoaner

I'm writing in a rather ad-hoc way about my experience with diagnosis and treatment of my pituitary adenoma,

Sydney Pituitary Collaborative Group

The SPCG brings together the expertise of healthcare professionals (endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, trainees) interested in advancing pituitary tumour management, education and research through collaboration.

American Brain Tumor Association

Tumors arising from the pituitary gland itself are called adenomas or carcinomas. Pituitary adenomas are benign, slow-growing masses that represent about 10% of primary brain tumors. Pituitary carcinoma is the rare malignant form of pituitary adenoma.

Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada

Pituitary adenomas are low-grade, slow-growing masses that represent about 10 per cent of primary brain tumours, making them the third most common primary brain tumour in adults. They can occur at any age, but they are more common in older people. Women are more affected than men, particularly during childbearing years.

Hormone Health Network

As the “master gland” of the body, it produces many hormones that travel throughout the body, directing certain processes or stimulating other glands to produce other hormones.The pituitary gland makes or stores many different hormones.

MedicineNet

Symptoms of pituitary tumors may include headaches, vision problems, nausea and vomiting, or any of the problems caused by the production of too many hormones such as infertility or loss of menstrual periods in women, abnormal growth, high blood pressure, heat or cold intolerance, and other skin and body changes.

MedlinePlus

Your pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland at the base of your brain. The pituitary is the "master control gland" - it makes hormones that affect growth and the functions of other glands in the body. Pituitary tumors are common, but often they don't cause health problems. Most people with pituitary tumors never even know they have them. The most common type of pituitary tumor produces hormones and disrupts the balance of hormones in your body. This can cause endocrine diseases such as Cushing's syndrome and hyperthyroidism.

National Cancer Institute

Pituitary tumors may be either non-functioning or functioning. Non-functioning pituitary tumors do not make extra amounts of hormones. Functioning pituitary tumors make more than the normal amount of one or more hormones. Most pituitary tumors are functioning tumors. The extra hormones made by pituitary tumors may cause certain signs or symptoms of disease.

Patient

The pituitary gland is often called the master gland because it controls several other hormone-releasing glands such as the ovaries, adrenals and testes.

PatientsLikeMe

We’re all in this for good. By sharing your stories and data, you will: •help each other live better and uncover the best ways to manage your health today •help researchers shorten the path to new treatments tomorrow POWERED BY WISTIA