Anatomy (Internal Organs+Glands) · MU Sofia

96. Pituitary gland or hypophysis.

Covers the pituitary gland's position in the sella turcica and its relations to surrounding structures, including the hypothalamus, optic chiasm, sphenoid sinus and cavernous sinus. It sets out the arterial supply, including the portal system, and venous drainage, then the anterior and posterior lobes and their histology. It closes with how hypothalamic hormones reach the anterior lobe and how the posterior lobe releases hormones made in the hypothalamus. Two pictures accompany the text.

Inside: 6 sections · 2 labelled pictures · 10 flashcards · 3 min

Topic 40 of 44 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Anatomy (Internal Organs+Glands) (Medicine, Years 1 and 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 6 sections, about 479 words (3 min of reading), with 10 flashcards.

In this note

  1. (Endocrine Glands.) PITUITARY GLAND
  2. Blood Supply:
  3. Structure:
  4. Syntopy:
  5. Histology:
  6. Functions:

(Endocrine Glands.) PITUITARY GLAND

  • It is a small oval gland located at the base of the brain.
  • Is the master of endocrine glands
  • Site: in the hyposeal fossa (sella turcica).
  • ↳ located in the sphenoid bone.

Blood Supply:

Arterial blood supply:

  • 1 Superior hypophysial artery (a branch of the internal carotid artery) – supplies the infundibulum and median eminence
  • 2 Portal system of the hypophysis – originates from the spiral arteries in the pituitary stalk and continues to the second capillary bed in the adenohypophysis
  • 3 Trabecular artery – supplies the pars distalis of the anterior lobe
  • 4 Inferior hypophysial artery (branch of the internal carotid artery) – supplies the posterior lobe

Venous drainage:

  • 5 Hypophysial veins (into the cavernous sinus)

Structure:

  1. 1 Adenohypophysis (anterior lobe)
  2. 1.1 Pars distalis – the major part of the anterior lobe
  3. 1.2 Pars intermedia – a strip of hypophyseal tissue at the border with the posterior lobe
  4. 1.3 Pars tuberalis – a layer surrounding the stalk of the posterior lobe
  5. 2 Neurohypophysis (posterior lobe)
  6. 2.1 Infundibulum – the stalk of the posterior lobe
  7. 2.2 Neural lobe – the posterior lobe itself

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