For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | September 2015
The Role of the
Pituitary Gland
To maintain its optimal health,
go back to the basics
By Charles Sebastian, Staff Writer
The pituitary gland, which is part of
the endocrine system in mammals, is
a small piece of the matter that makes
up a human being. This may make
one think the pituitary’s influence on
the rest of the body is small and insignificant. Nothing could be further
from the truth. The command of the
pituitary is inestimable and its role in
overall health is vast.
The pituitary sits under the hypothalamus at the bottom of the brain.
It is also known as “hypophysis”
or “outgrowth.” Anatomist Samuel
Thomas von Sömmerring first coined
this lesser-used Greek name and it is
still found in many manuals and texts.
The name pituitary originated from
“pituita” or “slime” because early anatomists and physicians thought slime
was coagulating on the gland.
The pituitary secretes numerous
hormones that regulate, among other
things, blood pressure and the body’s
growth rate. The gland also has partial
influence over kidney salinity concentration, osmolarity, thyroid glands and
sex organs.
The pituitary is divided into three
main sections: anterior, intermediate
and posterior (front, middle and rear).
In humans, the intermediate section
is sometimes classified as part of the
anterior portion; in other vertebrates
the intermediate section may be more
or less present; it stays busy secreting
melanocyte-stimulating hormone
(MSH). The hypothalamus regulates
the hormones released by the anterior
and posterior sections of the pituitary.
Many diseases can be attributed to
imbalances in pituitary gland func-
Your new
home is
waiting just
moments
away from
downtown
Richmond,
Kentucky.
St. Andrews
Place
Retirement
Community
offer
quality
residential
homes since
1992.
St. Andrews
Place offers
a friendly,
peaceful,
serene
and secure
neighborhood
for retirees.
300 Stocker Dr
Richmond, KY 40475
(859) 625-1400
www standrewsplace org
www.standrewsplace.org
tion. Some of the most readily apparent are tumo