pituitary glands
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pluralof pituitary gland.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
pituitary glandnouna 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.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Surgery with instruments previously used in a patient with vCJD that were not adequately sterilized and contaminated pituitary growth hormones taken from human pituitary glands from infected cadavers.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
These eight patients all received doses of human growth hormone from the pituitary glands of numerous cadavers—a very unusual transmission route.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 13, 2018
They had been treated for short stature during childhood with growth-hormone preparations derived from the pituitary glands of thousands of donors after death.
From Nature ● Dec. 12, 2018
With similar melatonin-detecting regions present in the pituitary glands of humans, Loudon believes it is important to probe whether the newly discovered mechanism could also play a role in human biology.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 6, 2017
Adiposity often develops, undoubtedly associated with underfunction of the thyroid and pituitary glands.
From The Glands Regulating Personality by Louis Berman M.D.