The pituitary gland is the size of a pea, and is situated at the base of the brain, just behind the nose. It sits in a bony depression known as the pituitary fossa.

 

Although it is small in size, the pituitary gland plays an essential role in co-ordinating various body functions. For this reason, the pituitary gland is known as the’master gland’.

 

The pituitary gland comprises various types of cells and each cell type is responsible for producing a certain hormone (message). These cells can sometimes develop into pituitary tumours.

Pituitary hormone	Target in the body	Action in the body
Prolactin	Breasts	Milk for breast feeding a baby
Growth hormone (GH)	Bones and cartilage	Regulation of growth
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)	Adrenal glands	Cortisol production, stress response, blood pressure regulation
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)	Thyroid gland	Thyroid hormone production; regulates metabolism
Luteinising hormone (LH) and Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)	Ovaries (women), testes (men)	Regulates fertility