pituitary
n.n. a small, pea-shaped gland at the base of the brain that controls many important body functions. It produces hormones that tell other parts of the body what to do.
n. a small, pea-shaped endocrine gland located at the base of the brain. It regulates various physiological processes by secreting hormones that influence other endocrine glands and target organs.
The pituitary gland controls the production of growth hormone.
Doctors often check the pituitary gland when a patient shows signs of hormonal imbalances, such as extreme fatigue or unusual weight gain.
As the master gland of the endocrine system, the pituitary regulates the activity of other glands, including the thyroid and adrenal cortex, through the secretion of specific tropic hormones.
1610s, from Latin pītuītārius (“mucous”), from pītuīta (“clammy moisture, phlegm, mucus, slime”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *peyH- (“to be fat, swell”). Taken as the name for the gland because it was believed that it channeled mucus to the nose. As a noun by 1899.