The pituitary gland, or '''hypophysis''' is an elongated appendage of the brain lying within a bony cavity of the [[Skull and Facial Muscles - Anatomy & Physiology#Sphenoid Bone (os sphenoidale)|sphenoid bone]] in the base of the skull - the '''Sella Turcica'''. The hypophysis is suspended ventral to the the [[Hypothalamus - Anatomy & Physiology|hypothalamus]] by a thin '''infundibular stalk'''. It lies between the more rostral '''optic chiasma''', and the more caudal '''mammillary bodies''', separated from the brain by a fold of dura mater known as the '''diaphragma sellae'''. The gland is divided into '''anterior and posterior''', with different embryological origins reflecting a difference in function. | The pituitary gland, or '''hypophysis''' is an elongated appendage of the brain lying within a bony cavity of the [[Skull and Facial Muscles - Anatomy & Physiology#Sphenoid Bone (os sphenoidale)|sphenoid bone]] in the base of the skull - the '''Sella Turcica'''. The hypophysis is suspended ventral to the the [[Hypothalamus - Anatomy & Physiology|hypothalamus]] by a thin '''infundibular stalk'''. It lies between the more rostral '''optic chiasma''', and the more caudal '''mammillary bodies''', separated from the brain by a fold of dura mater known as the '''diaphragma sellae'''. The gland is divided into '''anterior and posterior''', with different embryological origins reflecting a difference in function. |