# What is the pituitary gland?

The master gland is called the pituitary gland (hypophysis). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a small, pea-sized gland.

## What it means

- A small, pea-sized gland.
- Sometimes called the 'master gland' because its hormones control other endocrine glands.
- Has an anterior (glandular) lobe and a posterior (neural) lobe.

## Action steps

1. Hangs from the underside of the brain by a short stalk.
2. Sits in a bony pocket of the sphenoid bone called the sella turcica.
3. Directly below the hypothalamus.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

---
Canonical: https://bestanatomyanswers.com/answers/what-is-the-pituitary-gland
Author: Best Anatomy Answers — https://bestanatomyanswers.com
Publisher: Best Anatomy Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC