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Pituitary Gland Embryology, Anatomy and Physiology

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Endocrine Surgery in Children

Abstract

The pituitary gland protrudes from the base of the brain and is encased by the sphenoid bone. The pituitary and hypothalamus together act as the main regulator of hormone production. The pituitary consists of two distinct parts, the anterior pituitary, or adenohypophysis, and the posterior pituitary, or neurohypophysis. The two parts differ in origin, structure and function. The anterior pituitary derives from oral ectoderm and produces growth hormone, prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and gonadotrophins—follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). The posterior pituitary derives from neural ectoderm and consists of neurons from the hypothalamus that produce antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, WC1N 3JH, UK

    Vaitsa Tziaferi

  2. Section of Genetics and Epigenetics in Health and Disease, Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK

    Mehul T. Dattani

Authors
  1. Vaitsa Tziaferi
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  2. Mehul T. Dattani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mehul T. Dattani .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Daniel J. Ledbetter

  2. Academic Pediatric Surgery Unit, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Paul R.V. Johnson

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Tziaferi, V., Dattani, M.T. (2018). Pituitary Gland Embryology, Anatomy and Physiology. In: Ledbetter, D., Johnson, P. (eds) Endocrine Surgery in Children. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54256-9_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54256-9_32

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-54254-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-54256-9

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