the.com/pituitary
a pea-sized despot at your brain's base, bossing every gland in your body.
means The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain that releases hormones controlling growth, metabolism, and the activity of other glands throughout your body.
from From Latin pituita, meaning "phlegm" or "slime." The ancients believed this little gland's job was to drip mucus down into the nose — that the brain made phlegm and the pituitary passed it along. They were entirely wrong about its function, but the name stuck, leaving the body's master gland forever christened "the snot-maker."
- size
- Roughly the size of a single pea
- the boss
- Called the master gland for good reason
- growth control
- Decides whether you'll be tall or short
- hidden seat
- Nestled in a bone pocket called sella turcica
- hormone factory
- Pumps out at least eight different hormones
pituitary adenoma — most common pituitary tumor, affects ~1 in 1000 people, often causing acromegaly or prolactinomas
pituitary apoplexy — sudden bleeding into pituitary gland, medical emergency documented in thousands of cases annually
sheehan's syndrome — pituitary necrosis from postpartum hemorrhage, documented in india and developing countries where obstetric care is limited