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Pituitary Gland, Master of Glands that Control Many Body Functions

Do you know what the pituitary gland is? The pituitary gland is a small organ under the brain. These glands produce hormones or substances that enter the bloodstream and help control many processes and functions in your body. Although foreign to your ears, but the pituitary gland apparently has important benefits for your body, because it can control several glands, such as the thyroid gland, ovaries, testes, and adrenal glands. This gland is known as the master gland, because it produces hormones that control other glands and have a variety of functions in your body, including growth functions.

These are the Parts of the Pituitary Gland and Its Role

The pituitary gland has a fairly small size, which is the size of a pea. This gland is found at the base of the brain, behind the nose bridge. This gland is very close to the part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The activity of the pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland is divided into three parts, namely the anterior, intermedia, and posterior lobes. The three parts have their respective roles, namely:
  • The anterior lobe (front) has a major role involved in body development, sexual maturation, and reproduction. The hormone produced by the anterior lobe is to regulate growth, stimulate the adrenal and thyroid glands, and the ovaries and testes. In this section, the pituitary gland produces prolactin.
  • The intermedia lobe (middle part) has a role to release hormones that stimulate melanocytes, cells that control pigmentation, such as skin color, through melanin production. The function of hormones produced in this part of the gland is still not clearly known.
  • The posterior lobe (the back) has a role to produce antidiuretic hormone, the hormone that takes water back from the kidneys and stores it in the bloodstream to prevent dehydration. The hormone oxytocin is also produced in the posterior lobe.
In addition, several types of hormones released by the pituitary gland that you need to know, including:
  • GH (growth hormone), increases muscle and bone size.
  • THS (thyroid stimulating hormone), stimulates the thyroid gland to release T3 and T4 to stimulate metabolism in other cells throughout the body.
  • FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), stimulates ovarian follicle production in women, and stimulates sperm production in men.
  • LH (luteinizing hormone), stimulates the ovaries to produce estrogen in women, stimulates sperm production in men.
  • Prolactin, stimulates breast tissue in nursing mothers to produce breast milk.
  • ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), causes the adrenal glands to produce important substances that have properties similar to steroids.
  • ADH (antidiuretic hormone), stimulates the kidneys to reabsorb fluids and produce less urine.
  • Oxytocin. This hormone has a function to help the uterine contractions during childbirth also stimulates the production and release of breast milk.
Hormones produced by the body have an important role in supporting life processes. Having an important function in your body, does not make the pituitary gland free from interference and problems. The problem occurs if the pituitary gland is overactive or not active enough. Some problems when the pituitary gland produces too much hormone, including acromegaly (in children this condition is called gigantism), Cushing's syndrome, and prolactinoma. Whereas conditions where the pituitary gland fails to produce enough hormones, including diabetes insipidus, hypopituitarism, growth disorders in children, pituitary tumors, and tumors or injuries to the hypothalamus that have an effect on your pituitary gland.

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