Role of Pituitary Glands Hormones

Pituitary, a small pea–sized gland, is situated beneath the brain near the base of skull and this specific place is called Pituitary Fossa. Being weighed no more than one gram; this gland is known to be “master gland” because it regulates the production of other hormones in our body. It is an endocrine gland.

We all know the fact that hormone plays a very significant role on metabolism, maturation, growth sexuality, reproduction and various others human bodily functions. Now it is times to know about the hormones which are produced by pituitary gland and their functions in human body.

# Prolactin: The production of breast milk is stimulated by this hormone and it regulates the menstrual period. It mainly increases the bone strength also and over production if this hormone in the blood can cause tumor and this disorder is known as Prolactinoma.

# ACTH: The full name of this hormone is Adreno Cortico Tropic Hormone (ACTH). It provides the signal to the adrenal glands (placed at the top of kidney) in order to generate the steroid called Cortisol.

#Growth Hormone (HGH): It gives the signal to the liver cells to generate somatomedin-C which is really crucial for the growth of human body during the childhood time.

#Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH: It regulates the thyroid hormone secretion from the thyroid gland and this hormone controls the entire metabolism system in our body. Too much or too less production of this hormone could be a cause of the disorders like Hyperthyrodism or Hypothyrodism.

#FSH and LH: It controls the hormone production of testosterone (produced by testes) and Estrogen, progesterone (produced by ovaries). Both of these hormones determine several important sexual features in male and female.

ADH: It mainly makes the kidney function more active so that it can concentrate the urine by taking the water back in the blood stream. It is produced by hypothalamus and then stored in the posterior position of pituitary gland before being released to the bloodstream.

Endorphin: it acts as a pain surpressor.

The entire pituitary gland mainly consists of larger frontal region- larger region (adenohypophysis) and smaller region (neurohyphophysis). Pituitary is connected with our brain by pituitary stalk and the place of brain where it is connected is called hypothalamus. The both side of this gland is called cavernous sinus that transports blood to our brain and it controls the crucial nerves that regulates the movement of our eye

There is another hormone which is also produced by hypothalamus and then stored in the posterior position of pituitary gland before being released to the bloodstream. This hormone is called Oxytocin and it mainly stimulates the contraction during the time of labor and breast feeding.