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~.
