pituitary gland (redirected from Hypophyse)

gland (gland) an aggregation of cells specialized to secrete or excrete materials not related to their ordinary metabolic needs.

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accessory gland  a minor mass of glandular tissue near or at some distance from a gland of similar structure.

accessory adrenal glands  adrenal glandular tissue, usually either cortical or medullary, found in the abdomen or pelvis.

adrenal gland  suprarenal gland; a flattened body above either kidney, consisting of a cortex and a medulla, the former elaborating steroid hormones, and the latter epinephrine and norepinephrine.

aggregate glands , aggregated glands Peyer's patches.

apocrine gland  one whose discharged secretion contains part of the secreting cells; particularly used to denote an apocrine sweat gland.

apocrine sweat gland  a type of large, branched, specialized sweat gland, after puberty producing a viscous secretion that is acted on by bacteria to produce a characteristic acrid odor.

axillary glands  lymph nodes situated in the axilla.

Bartholin's gland  greater vestibular g.

biliary glands , glands of biliary mucosa tubuloalveolar glands in the mucosa of the bile ducts and the neck of the gallbladder.

Blandin's glands  anterior lingual g's.

bronchial glands  seromucous glands in the mucosa and submucosa of bronchial walls.

Bruch's glands  lymph follicles in the conjunctiva of lower lid.

Brunner's glands  duodenal g's.

bulbocavernous gland , bulbourethral gland one of two glands embedded in the substance of the sphincter of the urethra, posterior to the membranous part of the urethra.

cardiac glands  mucin-secreting glands of the cardiac part (cardia) of the stomach.

celiac glands  lymph nodes anterior to the abdominal aorta.

ceruminous glands  cerumen-secreting glands in the skin of the external auditory canal.

cervical glands of uterus  compound clefts in the wall of the uterine cervix.

ciliary glands  sweat glands that have become arrested in their development, located at the edges of the eyelids.

circumanal glands  specialized sweat and sebaceous glands around the anus.

closed glands  endocrine g's.

coccygeal gland  glomus coccygeum.

compound gland  one made up of a number of smaller units whose excretory ducts combine to form ducts of progressively higher order.

Cowper's gland  bulbourethral g.

ductless gland  one without a duct, of internal secretion; see endocrine g's.

duodenal glands  glands in the submucosa of the duodenum, opening into the glands of the small intestine.

Ebner's glands  serous glands at the back of the tongue near the taste buds.

eccrine gland , eccrine sweat gland one of the ordinary, or simple, sweat glands, which is of the merocrine type.

endocrine glands  organs whose secretions (hormones) are released directly into the circulatory system; they include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands, the pineal body, and the gonads.

exocrine gland  one whose secretion is discharged through a duct opening on an internal or external surface of the body.

fundic glands , fundus glands tubular glands in the mucosa of the fundus and body of the stomach, containing acid- and pepsin-secreting cells.

Galeati's glands  duodenal g's.

gastric glands  the secreting glands of the stomach, including the fundic, cardiac, and pyloric glands.

Gay's glands  circumanal g's.

glossopalatine glands  mucous glands at the posterior end of the smaller sublingual glands.

haversian glands  synovial villi.

holocrine gland  one whose discharged secretion contains the entire secreting cells.

intestinal glands  straight tubular glands in the mucous membrane of the intestine, opening, in the small intestine, between the bases of the villi, and containing argentaffin cells.

jugular gland  accessory lacrimal glands deep in the conjunctival connective tissue, mainly near the upper fornix.

lacrimal gland  either of a pair of glands that secrete tears.

glands of Lieberkühn  intestinal g's.

lingual glands  the seromucous glands on the surface of the tongue.

lingual glands, anterior  the deeply placed seromucous glands near the apex of the tongue.

Littre's glands 

1. preputial g's.

2. urethral g's (male).

lymph gland  see under node.

mammary gland  the specialized gland of the skin of female mammals, which secretes milk for nourishment of the young.

Glandula mammaria (mammary gland).

meibomian glands  sebaceous follicles between the cartilage and conjunctiva of eyelids.

merocrine gland  one in which the secretory cells maintain their integrity throughout the secretory cycle.

mixed glands 

1. seromucous g's.

2. glands that have both exocrine and endocrine portions.

monoptychial gland  one in which the tubules or alveoli are lined with a single layer of secreting cells.

Morgagni's glands  urethral g's (male).

mucous gland  a gland that secretes mucus.

nabothian glands  see under follicle.

Nuhn's glands  anterior lingual g's.

olfactory glands  small mucous glands in the olfactory mucosa.

parathyroid glands  small bodies in the region of the thyroid gland, developed from the endoderm of the branchial clefts, occurring in a variable number of pairs, commonly two; they secrete parathyroid hormone and are concerned chiefly with the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus.

paraurethral glands  see paraurethral ducts of female urethra and paraurethral ducts of male urethra, under duct.

parotid gland  the largest of the three paired salivary glands, located in front of the ear.

Peyer's glands  see under patch.

pharyngeal glands  mucous glands beneath the tunica mucosa of the pharynx.

pineal gland  see under body.

pituitary gland  hypophysis; the epithelial body of dual origin at the base of the brain in the sella turcica, attached by a stalk to the hypothalamus. It consists of two main lobes, the anterior lobe or adenohypophysis, secreting most of the hormones, and the posterior lobe or neurohypophysis, which stores and releases neurohormones received from the hypothalamus.

preputial glands  small sebaceous glands of the corona of the penis and the inner surface of the prepuce, which secrete smegma.

proper gastric glands  fundic g's.

prostate gland  prostate.

pyloric glands  the mucin-secreting glands of the pyloric part of the stomach.

racemose glands  glands composed of acini arranged like grapes on a stem.

saccular gland  one consisting of a sac or sacs, lined with glandular epithelium.

salivary glands  glands of the oral cavity whose combined secretion constitutes the saliva, including the parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands and numerous small glands in the tongue, lips, cheeks, and palate.

Salivary glands.

sebaceous gland  one of the holocrine glands in the dermis that secrete sebum.

seromucous gland  one containing both serous and mucous secreting cells.

serous gland  a gland that secretes a watery albuminous material, commonly but not always containing enzymes.

sex gland  gonad.

simple gland  one with a nonbranching duct.

Skene's glands  paraurethral ducts of female urethra.

solitary glands  see under follicle.

submandibular gland , submaxillary gland a salivary gland on the inner side of each ramus of the lower jaw.

suprarenal gland  adrenal g.

Suzanne's gland  a mucous gland of the mouth, beneath the alveolingual groove.

sweat gland  a gland that secretes sweat, found in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue, opening by a duct on the body surface. The ordinary or eccrine sweat glands are distributed over most of the body surface, and promote cooling by evaporation of the secretion; the apocrine sweat glands empty into the upper portion of a hair follicle instead of directly onto the skin, and are found only in certain body areas, as around the anus and in the axilla.

target gland  one specifically affected by a pituitary hormone.

tarsal glands , tarsoconjunctival glands meibomian g's.

thymus gland  see thymus.

thyroid gland  an endocrine gland consisting of two lobes, one on each side of the trachea, joined by a narrow isthmus, producing hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine), which require iodine for their elaboration and which are concerned in regulating metabolic rate; it also secretes calcitonin.

Tyson's glands  preputial g's.

unicellular gland  a single cell that functions as a gland, e.g., a goblet cell.

urethral glands  mucous glands in the wall of the urethra.

uterine glands  simple tubular glands found throughout the endometrium.

vesical glands  mucous glands sometimes found in the wall of the urinary bladder, especially in the area of the trigone.

vestibular gland, greater  Bartholin's gland: either of two small reddish yellow bodies in the vestibular bulbs, one on each side of the vaginal orifice.

vestibular glands, lesser  small mucous glands opening upon the vestibular mucous membrane between the urethral and the vaginal orifice.

Virchow's gland  sentinel node.

vulvovaginal gland  Bartholin's g.

Waldeyer's glands  glands in the attached edge of the eyelid.

Weber's glands  the tubular mucous glands of the tongue.

glands of Zeis  modified rudimentary sebaceous glands attached directly to the eyelash follicles.

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pituitary gland

n.

A small, oval endocrine gland attached to the base of the vertebrate brain and consisting of an anterior and posterior lobe, the secretions of which control the other endocrine glands and influence growth, metabolism, and maturation. Also called hypophysis, master gland.

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Pituitary gland

The pituitary gland is sometimes referred to as the "master gland." As the most important of the endocrine glands (glands which release hormones directly into the bloodstream), it regulates and controls not only the activities of other endocrine glands but also many body processes.

Mentioned in: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Test, Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) Test, Cholesterol-Reducing Drugs, Goiter, Growth Hormone Tests, Histiocytosis X, Hypothyroidism, Menopause, Prolactin Test, Stress Reduction, Thyroid Hormones

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pituitary gland

Etymology: L, pituita, phlegm

an endocrine gland suspended beneath the brain in the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid bone, supplying numerous hormones that govern many vital processes. It is divided into an anterior adenohypophysis and a smaller posterior neurohypophysis. The anterior lobe of the gland is composed of polygonal cells related to the production of seven hormones. The hormones, controlled by hypothalamic releasing factors, include growth hormone (somatotropin), prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and melanocyte-stimulating hormone. The posterior lobe is morphologically an extension of the hypothalamus and the source of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin. Vasopressin inhibits diuresis by promoting nephron water reabsorption and raises blood pressure. Oxytocin stimulates the contraction of smooth muscle, especially in the uterus. Also called hypophysis, hypophysis cerebri. See also adenohypophysis, neurohypophysis.

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gland [gland]

an aggregation of cells specialized to secrete or excrete materials not related to their ordinary metabolic needs. Glands are divided into two main groups, endocrine and exocrine. adj., adj glan´dular.

The endocrine glands, or ductless glands, discharge their secretions (hormones) directly into the blood; they include the adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, the islands of Langerhans in the pancreas, the gonads, the thymus, and the pineal body. The exocrine glands discharge through ducts opening on an external or internal surface of the body; they include the salivary, sebaceous, and sweat glands, the liver, the gastric glands, the pancreas, the intestinal, mammary, and lacrimal glands, and the prostate. The lymph nodes are sometimes called lymph glands but are not glands in the usual sense.

Classification of glands according to mode of secretion. From Applegate, 2000.

acinous gland one made up of one or more acini (oval or spherical sacs).

adrenal gland see adrenal gland.

apocrine gland one whose discharged secretion contains part of the secreting cells.

areolar g's Montgomery's glands.

axillary g's lymph nodes in the axilla.

Bartholin g's two small mucus-secreting glands, one on each side in the lower pole of the labium majus and connected to the surface by a duct lined with transitional cells, which opens just external to the hymenal ring. Their exact function is not clear but they are believed to secrete mucus to moisten the vestibule during sexual excitement. Called also major vestibular glands.

Bowman's g's olfactory glands.

bronchial g's seromucous glands in the mucosa and submucosa of the bronchial walls.

Brunner's g's glands in the submucosa of the duodenum that secrete intestinal juice; called also duodenal glands.

buccal g's seromucous glands on the inner surface of the cheeks; called also genal glands.

bulbocavernous g's (bulbourethral g's) two glands embedded in the substance of the sphincter of the male urethra, posterior to the membranous part of the urethra; their secretion lubricates the urethra; called also Cowper's glands.

cardiac g's mucus-secreting glands of the cardiac part (cardia) of the stomach.

celiac g's lymph nodes anterior to the abdominal aorta.

ceruminous g's cerumin-secreting glands in the skin of the external auditory canal.

cervical g's

1. the lymph nodes of the neck.

2. compound clefts in the wall of the uterine cervix.

ciliary g's sweat glands that have become arrested in their development, situated at the edges of the eyelids; called also Moll's glands.

circumanal g's specialized sweat and sebaceous glands around the anus; called also Gay's glands.

Cobelli's g's mucous glands in the esophageal mucosa just above the cardia.

coccygeal gland glomus coccygeum.

compound gland one made up of a number of smaller units whose excretory ducts combine to form ducts of progressively higher order.

Cowper's g's bulbourethral glands.

ductless g's endocrine glands.

duodenal g's Brunner's glands.

Ebner's g's serous glands at the back of the tongue near the taste buds.

eccrine gland one of the ordinary or simple sweat glands, which are of the merocrine type.

endocrine g's see endocrine glands.

exocrine g's glands that discharge their secretions through ducts opening on internal or external surfaces of the body; see gland.

fundic g's (fundus g's) numerous tubular glands in the mucosa of the fundus and body of the stomach that contain the cells that produce acid and pepsin.

gastric g's the secreting glands of the stomach, including the fundic, cardiac, and pyloric glands.

Gay's g's circumanal glands.

genal g's buccal glands.

glossopalatine g's mucous glands at the posterior end of the smaller sublingual glands.

haversian g's synovial villi.

holocrine gland one whose discharged secretion contains the entire secreting cells.

intestinal g's straight tubular glands in the mucous membrane of the intestines, in the small intestine opening between the bases of the villi, and containing argentaffin cells. Called also crypts or glands of Lieberkühn.

jugular gland a lymph node behind the clavicular insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Krause's gland an accessory lacrimal gland deep in the conjunctival connective tissue, mainly near the upper fornix.

lacrimal g's the glands that secrete tears; see also lacrimal apparatus.

g's of Lieberkühn intestinal glands.

lingual g's the seromucous glands on the surface of the tongue.

lingual g's, anterior seromucous glands near the apex of the tongue.

Littre's g's

1. preputial glands.

2. the male urethral glands.

lymph gland lymph node.

major vestibular g's Bartholin glands.

mammary gland a specialized gland of the skin of female mammals, which secretes milk for the nourishment of their young; it exists in a rudimentary state in the male. See also breast.

meibomian g's sebaceous follicles between the cartilage and conjunctiva of the eyelids. Called also tarsal glands.

merocrine gland one whose discharged secretion contains no part of the secreting cells.

mixed g's

1. seromucous glands.

2. glands that have both exocrine and endocrine portions.

Moll's g's ciliary glands.

Montgomery's g's sebaceous glands in the mammary areola; called also areolar glands.

mucous g's glands that secrete mucus.

olfactory g's small mucous glands in the olfactory mucosa; called also Bowman's glands.

parathyroid g's see parathyroid glands.

parotid g's see parotid glands.

peptic g's gastric glands that secrete pepsin.

pineal gland pineal body.

pituitary gland see pituitary gland.

preputial g's small sebaceous glands of the corona of the penis and the inner surface of the prepuce, which secrete smegma; called also Littre's glands and Tyson's glands.

prostate gland prostate.

pyloric g's the mucin-secreting glands of the pyloric part of the stomach.

salivary g's see salivary glands.

sebaceous gland a type of holocrine gland of the corium that secretes an oily material (sebum) into the hair follicles.

Glands: The relationship of the hair follicle, eccrine and apocrine sweat glands and sebaceous glands. From Copstead, 1995.

sentinel gland an enlarged lymph node, considered to be pathognomonic of some pathologic condition elsewhere.

seromucous g's glands that are both serous and mucous.

serous gland a gland that secretes a watery albuminous material, commonly but not always containing enzymes.

sex gland (sexual gland) gonad.

simple gland one with a nonbranching duct.

Skene's g's the largest of the female urethral glands, which open into the urethral orifice; they are regarded as homologous with the prostate. Called also paraurethral ducts.

solitary g's solitary follicles.

sublingual gland a salivary gland on either side under the tongue.

submandibular gland (submaxillary gland) a salivary gland on the inner side of each ramus of the mandible.

sudoriferous gland (sudoriparous gland) sweat gland.

suprarenal gland adrenal gland.

sweat gland see sweat gland.

target gland any gland affected by a secretion or other stimulus from another gland, such as those affected by the secretions of the pituitary gland.

tarsal g's meibomian glands.

thymus gland thymus.

thyroid gland see thyroid gland.

tubular gland any gland made up of or containing a tubule or tubules.

Tyson's g's preputial glands.

unicellular gland a single cell that functions as a gland, e.g., a goblet cell.

urethral g's mucous glands in the wall of the urethra; in the male, called also Littre's glands.

uterine g's simple tubular glands found throughout the thickness and extent of the endometrium; they become enlarged during the premenstrual period.

vesical g's mucous glands sometimes found in the wall of the urinary bladder, especially in the area of the trigone.

vulvovaginal g's Bartholin's glands.

Waldeyer's g's glands in the attached edge of the eyelid.

Weber's g's the tubular mucous glands of the tongue.

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pituitary

pĭ-tu´ĭ-tar″e

1. pertaining to the pituitary gland.

2. pituitary gland.

3. a preparation of the pituitary glands of animals, used therapeutically.

pituitary gland an endocrine gland located at the base of the brain in a small recess of the sphenoid bone called the sella turcica. It is attached by the hypophyseal stalk to the hypothalamus and is divided into an anterior lobe (the adenohypophysis) and a posterior lobe (the neurohypophysis), which differ in embryological function and origin. Called also hypophysis.

The adenohypophysis originates from epithelial tissue. The adenohypophysis secretes six important hormones: growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone or thyrotropin, adrenocorticotropic hormone or corticotropin, prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Most of these hormones are tropic hormones, which regulate the growth, development, and proper functioning of other endocrine glands and are of vital importance to the growth, maturation, and reproduction of the individual. Secretion of the anterior pituitary hormones is controlled by releasing and inhibiting hormones produced by the hypothalamus. Information gathered by the nervous system about the well-being of an individual is collected in the hypothalamus and used to control the secretion of hormones by the pituitary gland. The hypothalamic releasing and inhibiting hormones are transported to the pituitary gland by way of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system in which the hypothalamic venules connect with the capillaries of the anterior pituitary.

The neurohypophysis originates from neural tissue; it stores and secretes two hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone). These hormones are synthesized in the cell bodies of neurons located in the hypothalamus and transported along the axons to the terminals located in the neurohypophysis and are released in response to neural stimulation.

Surgical removal of part or all of the pituitary gland is called hypophysectomy and is usually done for treatment of a pituitary tumor. Because of its influence on the adrenal cortex and other endocrine glands, removal of the pituitary gland has widespread effects on the body. See hypophysectomy.

The pituitary gland and its relationship to the hypothalamus.

posterior pituitary neurohypophysis.

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pituitary gland,

n an endocrine gland suspended beneath the brain in the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid bone. It produces a number of hormones essential for growth, metabolism, reproduction, and vascular control.