Pituitary Gland BY: REGINA SONG & BECKY LONG PERIOD 1

Location THE MASTER GLAND LLocated in the middle of the head in a bony box that looks like a saddle. AAt the base of the brain. d3ViuWqXvxQy1rRgssBz8Q&safe=active 3:35-4:49

Hormones Growth Hormone Oxytocin Prolactin Vasopressin

The Anterior Pituitary (Adenohypophysis) The forward region of the pituitary gland. Forms from epithelial cells lining the upper throat. The anterior pituitary is controlled by chemicals called releasers, or releasing hormones. Releasers are secreted into capillaries that travel from the hypothalamus to the anterior pituitary.

Growth Hormone Growth Hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth. It also ensures that all of the organ systems keep up with each other as the body develops. Function: Skeletal and muscular growth. Where it effects: Muscle Bone Liver

The Posterior Pituitary(Neurohypophysis) The rear region of the pituitary gland. Formed by and derives information from the nerve cells of the hypothalamus. These nerve cells carry information from the brain directly to the posterior pituitary.

Oxytocin Oxytocin is a mammalian neurohypophysial hormone that stimulates muscle contractions in the uterus and assists with milk release. Functions: Releasing milk and uterus contractions. What it effects: Stimulation of milk ejection. Stimulation of uterine smooth muscle contraction at birth. Establishment of maternal behavior.

Prolactin Prolactin is secreted in large amounts during pregnancy and breast feeding, but is present at all times in both men and women. Function: Stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk. (Prepares for the production of milk.) Stimulates to produce milk Sexual gratification What it effects: Estrogen (Female) Testosterone (Male) Fetal lungs at the end of the pregnancy. Immune tolerance of the fetus by the maternal organism during pregnancy.

Vasopressin Vasopressin is a neurohypophysial hormone that prevents loss of water, helps the kidney reabsorb water, and raises the blood pressure. Functions: Prevents loss of water from the body by reducing urine output and helping the kidneys reabsorb water into the body. It also raises blood pressure by narrowing blood vessels.

Prolactinoma Definition  A benign tumor of the pituitary gland.  Most common pituitary tumor.  Prolactin stimulates the breast to produce milk during pregnancy.  Most prolactinomas occur sporadically with a low risk of recurrence.  Success rate in treatment is high. Signs & Symptoms  Sometimes there are no signs or symptoms.  Disruption of the reproduction system.  Infertility and changing in menstruation for women.  In men most common symptom is impotence.

Prolactinoma

Acromegaly Definition  Occurs when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone during adulthood.  Bones increase in size, including those in hands, feet and face.  In children this can cause gigantism where they have exaggerated bone growth and abnormal increase in height.  If not treated it can lead to serious illness. Signs & Symptoms  Enlarged hands and feet.  Coarse, oily, thickened skin.  Excessive sweating and body odor.  Fatigue and muscle weakness.  Pain & limited joint mobility.  Enlarged facial features.  Menstrual cycle irregularities in women/erectile dysfunction in males.  Enlarged liver, heat, spleen and other organs.

Causes of Acromegaly  Caused by over production of growth hormone (GH) over time.  GH plays an important role in maintaining physical growth.  GH triggers your liver to produce a hormone called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I).  In turn IGF-I stimulates growth of bones and other tissues.  Too much can cause abnormal growth of soft tissues and skeleton.

Fun Fact! The Pituitary Gland produces Human Growth Hormone and too much HGH can cause gigantism and too little can cause dwarfism.

Concept Check Questions 1. What are the two endocrine glands attached to each other? The anterior and posterior region. 2. Name the hormone that the anterior pituitary gland produces and its role/function. The growth hormone. Skeletal and muscular growth. 3. What happens when the pituitary gland produces too much HGH? Too much can cause gigantism.

Bibliography "Pituitary Gland." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 19 Mar Web. 12 Mar Shapiro, Laura. "Hormones Produced by the Pituitary Gland." UCSF (Pituitary 101). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar Bowen, R. "Oxytocin." Pathophysiology of the Endocrine System. N.p., 12 July Web. 13 Mar "Your Hormones." The Pituitary Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar "Vasopressin." Drugs.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar