The pituitary gland secretes hormones that control the actions of other endocrine organs and various tissues around the body

Diencephalon

• Posterior part of the forebrain which consists of the thalamus and hypothalamus
• Forms central core of cerebrum with connections to right and left cerebral hemispheres and midbrain

Anatomical position

• Pea-sized oval structure, suspended from the underside of the brain by the infundibulum (pituitary stalk)
• It sits within the sella turcica of the sphenoid bone, in a small depression called the pituitary fossa

Anatomical relations

• Anteriorly - sphenoid sinus
• Posteriorly - posterior intercavernous sinus, dorsum sellae (posterior wall of the sella turcica), basilar artery and the pons
• Superiorly - diaphragma sellae (fold of dura mater that covers the pituitary gland), optic chiasm
• Inferiorly - sphenoid sinus
• Laterally - cavernous sinus

Structure

• Pituitary gland is anatomically and functionally divided into anterior and posterior lobes

Anterior lobe (adenohypophysis)

• Pars distalis, pars tuberalis, pars intermedia
• Embryologically, the anterior pituitary is formed from an upgrowth of Rathke's pouch (ectoderm)