Figure 36a - Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland Anatomy

Intro

Figure 36a:	Anterior Lobe of the Pituitary | Bone at the base of the Cranial Cavity | Hypothalamus | Membrane Covering around the Brain | Optic Chiasm | Pituitary Stalk | Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary
Figure 36b:	Anterior | Posterior

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A Bone at the base of the Cranial Cavity forms a protective encasement around the pituitary gland.

A saddle-shaped depression in the sphenoid bone of the cranium forms the bed for the pituitary gland (Parent, 1996). This cavity is called the "sella turcica", meaning saddle-shaped depression. Tumors in the suprasellar region can disrupt the pituitary stalk, causing a decrease in secretions from the anterior and the posterior pituitary (hypopituitarism).

Parent, A. (1996). Carpenter's human neuroanatomy (9th ed.). London: Williams & Wilkins.