Any complex system can exist only thanks to reliable leadership. This is a fact verified by history and time. The human body is a lot of complex systems that work seamlessly under the guidance of the endocrine and nervous systems. And the main manager of this whole thing is the pituitary gland of the brain. Who is this genius?
The pituitary gland of the brain is very small and invisible. Growth failed, the size is similar to the smallest hazelnut, and could not gain weight - only 0.65 grams and even less. Externally consists of two shares. It is covered with glandular tissue in front, and nervous tissue in the back. Because of this duplicity, it can be called by two names. If we talk about the first lobe, then it is called the adenohypophysis. When it comes to the nervous component of our friend, his name is at such moments the neurohypophysis.
Geniuses are very rare, so they need to be protected. The pituitary gland of the brain is no exception. So that nothing would happen to him, he was settled in a well-protected place - in a deep gorge. It is located at the very base of the brain in a saddle called Turkish by someone.
After a brief acquaintance with the personality of a genius, we turn to his ingenious abilities. They affect the most diverse areas of human life. To give birth to a baby, feed a nursing baby, from a child turn into an adult; in order not to die of thirst during stress and illness, have normal weight and blood pressure, be in a good mood and have enough vitality - you need a pituitary gland. Violation of the functions of this genius greatly complicates life.
What does this amazing gland do? It produces a wide variety of active substances, which are called by one common word - hormones. These same hormones are very important. All of the above processes in our body are impossible without hormones. So, to grow, you need the hormone somatotropin (in the people it is known as growth hormone). Conception and development of the fetus is impossible without follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones. During childbirth, to start contractions, oxytocin is very important, and without prolactin, the baby will not have the beloved mother’s milk.
The pituitary gland of the brain is not invulnerable. His activities may be impaired. Pituitary disease is similar to when the head of an enterprise is ill and there is no one to replace him. In such situations, often some kind of malfunctioning in the production process, lagging, or even downtime. Something similar happens when the pituitary gland ceases to produce any hormones or if they enter the body very little (deficiency) or very much (excess).
Pituitary hormones affect dependent organs of internal secretion, such as the adrenal glands, ovaries, pancreas, and thyroid gland. Each of them manages his own department and performs the tasks that the pituitary gland puts before her. Therefore, if a malfunction in the pituitary gland begins, the entire endocrine system fails, which leads to serious problems throughout the body.
The pituitary gland begins to fail due to tumors that appear as a result of accelerated gland growth. This process starts as a genetic mutation, and external factors - poor environmental conditions, radiation, mechanical damage to the brain. The volume of the glandular tissue of the pituitary gland increases usually unevenly: some cells become very numerous due to others. As a result, those cells, which are many, produce an excess of one hormone, and those that are not enough cause a lack of other hormones. Hormonal balance is upset. The result is the most diverse: from minor irregularities of the menstrual cycle to a complete failure of the entire endocrine system. The latter case was studied and described in detail by such well-known endocrinologists as Nikolai Itsenko and Harvey Cushing. Often this disease is called by their names.
Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to completely restore the impaired pituitary gland functions , since the causes of these disorders are not fully understood. All that doctors can do is teach the patient to maintain hormonal balance with hormone substitutes that are taken for life.