Know your body .. Pituitary gland in the size of peas and produces growth hormones
Know your body .. Pituitary gland in the size of peas and produces growth hormones
The pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland located in the middle of the skull, lower than the hypothalamus in the brain, an important link between the nervous system and the endocrine gland. It releases many hormones that affect growth, sexual growth, metabolism and human reproduction. One of the series 'Know Your Body' episodes.
According to the "innerbody" medical site, the pituitary gland is located inside a small cavity in the bones of the plexus of the skull, and thus the osteoarthritis surrounds and protects the pituitary gland sensitive to damage by external forces, while the pituitary gland was previously considered one structure in the body , But another study of its structure revealed that in fact it consists of two distinct areas structurally and functionally.
The regions include the pituitary gland, a hormone-producing gland, and the posterior pituitary gland, an extension of the hypothalamic nerve tissue that stores and releases two hormones produced in the hypothalamus.
The pituitary surrounds many important blood vessels that support its tissues and transport hormones. The spinal cord provides blood flow to the surrounding capillaries. The hormones produced by the hypothalamus are secreted and inactivated. Blood - including any hormones secreted - is returned to the heart And the rest of the body via the anterior pituitary veins.
The pituitary gland produces seven important hormones:
Human Growth Hormone (hGH)
- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Hormone Alarm Clock (FSH)
- Melatonin (LH)
- Prolactin (PRL)
- Adrenal cortex hormone (ACTH)
- Melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)
Each of these hormones targets specific receptors in the body to stimulate specific glands and tissues in the body. The thyroid, ovaries, testes, mammary glands and adrenal glands are stimulated by the pituitary gland hormones.