 Dear students, in this topic we shall discuss the pituitary gland and its hormones. The pituitary gland is also known as hypofysis. It is often called as master gland as it produces 9 hormones which affect virtually all tissues of the body including many other endocrine glands. The pituitary gland is a small gland about 1 cm in diameter and 0.5 to 1 gram in weight. It lies below the hypothalamus as a small protrusion. It is connected to the hypothalamus by a pituitary stalk which is known as infundibulum. Dear students, the pituitary gland has 3 lobes. The anterior lobe which is called adenohypofysis. The second lobe is the intermediate lobe or PERS intermediate. The third lobe is the posterior lobe also called neurohypofysis. We shall discuss the roles of all the 3 lobes. The anterior lobe or adenohypofysis is fleshy, glandular and highly vascularized in all animals. It contains 5 types of cells which are glandular and synthesize and secrete 6 hormones. Their secretions are controlled by the hypothalamic hormones. These 5 types of cells include number 1 the somatotropes which produce growth hormone. Number 2 carticotropes which produce the adenocarticotropic hormone ACTH. The third type of cells is the thyrotropes which produce thyroid stimulating hormone TSH. The 4 types of cells are the gonadotropes which produce gonadotropic hormones, luteinizing hormone and follicles stimulating hormone FSH. The 5th type of glandular cells in adenohypofysis are the lactotropes which produce prolectin. Dear students, these adenohypofysial hormones are classified into 2 groups, one the tropic hormones, the ACTH, TSH, LH and FSH are primarily tropic in their actions. They act on other endocrine tissues that is thyroid, gonads, adenocortex and regulate the activity of these target glands. The luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormones are called gonadotropin hormones. They act on gonads and stimulate the secretion of gonadal hormones. The other 3 hormones of adenohypofysis that is growth hormone prolectin and end prolectin are non-tropic hormones. Such hormones act directly on their target tissues and produce effect. They do not act on other endocrine glands, they do not act on other endocrine glands and they do not get any further release of any other hormone. Dear students, the intermediate lobe of pituitary is avascular that is without high blood supply and is almost absent in humans. However, in rodents and many lower vertebrates, this lobe of pituitary is highly developed and produces the hormone MSH. In humans, MSH is secreted by the PERS intermediate which is considered as a part of anterior pituitary. The secretion of MSH is under the regulation of hypothalamic MIH that is inhibiting hormone for melanocytes. The posterior lobe or neurohypophysis of pituitary is non-flashy and non-glandular. It has neural composition and is considered as an extension of the hypothalamus. It does not synthesize any hormone but it releases two hormones which are synthesized by the hypothalamus and released in this part of the pituitary. These two hormones are the peptide hormones, antidiuretic hormone ADH which is also known as vasopressin and oxytocin. The ADH and oxytocin are released by the axon terminals in the posterior pituitary. Posterior pituitary lobe stores these hormones and secretes them as per requirement.