The pituitary (or hypophysis) is a small gland, no larger than a pea, located at the base of the |brain| in the small depression of the |sphenoid bone| called the sella turcica. It is controlled by the |hypothalamus| to which it is attached and is sometimes referred to as the master gland because its function is to coordinate the nervous system and the endocrine system. Some of its ~hormones~ stimulate other endocrine |glands| to produce their own ~hormones~. This small gland is actually two |glands|: the ~anterior~ |pituitary gland| (or adenohypophysis) and the ~posterior~ |pituitary gland| (or neurohypophysis). This gland produces several ~hormones~. One of the pituitary ~hormones~ regulates the retention of water by the |kidneys|. Another causes the |uterus| to contract during |childbirth|, and then stimulates the production of milk in the mammary |glands|. One of the most important pituitary ~hormone~ is a growth ~hormone~ (GH). This ~hormone~ controls growth by regulating the amount of nutrients taken into cells. The growth ~hormone~ also works with insulin to control the level of ~blood~ sugar.
