pituitary gland

[ pi-too-i-ter-ee gland, pi-tyoo‐ ]

/ pɪˈtu ɪˌtɛr i ˌglænd, pɪˈtyu‐ /

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noun Anatomy.

a small, somewhat cherry-shaped double structure attached by a stalk to the base of the brain and constituting the master endocrine gland affecting all hormonal functions in the body, consisting of an anterior region (anterior pituitary, oradenohypophysis ) that develops embryonically from the roof of the mouth and that secretes growth hormone, LH, FSH, ACTH, TSH, and MSH, a posterior region (posterior pituitary, orneurohypophysis ) that develops from the back of the forebrain and that secretes the hormones vasopressin and oxytocin, and an intermediate part (pars intermedia ), derived from the anterior region but joined to the posterior region, that secretes the hormone MSH in lower vertebrates.

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Also called hypophysis.

Origin of pituitary gland

First recorded in 1605–15

Words nearby pituitary gland

Pittsfield, Pitt Street Farmer, pituitary, pituitary body, pituitary extract, pituitary gland, pituitous, pituri, pit viper, pity, pitying

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pituitary gland in a sentence

The two scientists cultured immature rabbit eggs for about a day, supplementing the nutrient broth either with extracts from cow pituitary glands or with an unspecified “maturity hormone.”
Solving mysteries of reproduction helped make parenthood possible for millions|Robin Marantz Henig|June 9, 2021|Science News
Others who, because of a tumor in the pituitary gland, may overproduce HGH develop a different problem: gigantism.
Is HGH, Allegedly Alex Rodriguez’s Drug of Choice, Really So Bad?|Kent Sepkowitz|August 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Carrey sings: "You're a big, big man with a little bitty gland, so you need something bigger with a hairpin trigger."
"Hee-Haw": Jim Carrey Mocks Gun Lovers & Charlton Heston In Spoof|Anna Klassen|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
HGH is a hormone normally made in tiny amounts by the pituitary gland in all of us.
Where Were the Doctors to Testify at Roger Clemens’s Perjury Trial?|Kent Sepkowitz|June 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST

At the other end, a tumor of the pituitary can over-produce growth hormone and cause acromegaly.
Where Were the Doctors to Testify at Roger Clemens’s Perjury Trial?|Kent Sepkowitz|June 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
To decimate the malformation, destroying the offending oil gland once it morphs into something with a head.
My Odyssey Into Extreme Dermatology|Elizabeth Hayt|April 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The thymus gland attains a considerable development in the embryo and shrinks away to the merest vestige in the adult.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
The strong probability is that this gland belongs in the same category with other embryonic survivals yet to be pointed out.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
It is nearly always accompanied by a distinct hypertrophy of the thymus gland.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
I want a ball bat to club every country jake doctor that looks me over and asks about my pituitary gland.
David Lannarck, Midget|George S. Harney
The mucus secreted from gland cells in this lining makes a slippery surface so that the food may slip down easily.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for pituitary gland

pituitary gland

pituitary body

noun

the master endocrine gland, attached by a stalk to the base of the brain. Its two lobes (the adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis) secrete hormones affecting skeletal growth, development of the sex glands, and the functioning of the other endocrine glandsAlso called: hypophysis, hypophysis cerebri See also adenohypophysis, neurohypophysis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for pituitary gland

pituitary gland

[ pĭ-tōō′ĭ-tĕr′ē ]

A gland at the base of the brain in vertebrate animals that is divided into two regions, anterior and posterior, each of which secretes important hormones. The anterior portion, whose secretions are directly controlled by the hypothalamus, produces hormones that regulate the function of most of the body's hormone-producing glands and organs, including the thyroid and adrenal glands. Growth hormone is also produced by the anterior pituitary. The posterior pituitary releases antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin.

Cultural definitions for pituitary gland

pituitary gland

[ (pi-tooh-uh-ter-ee) ]

A small gland, attached to the base of the brain and controlled by the hypothalamus, that functions in the endocrine system. The pituitary gland secretes many hormones: some control the actions of other glands, whereas others influence growth, metabolism, and reproduction.