The pituitary gland lies in a bony hollow at the base of the brain. It is approximately 15 mm long and 5 mm across. It is attached to the brain by a stalk or nerve fibers, which is continuous with the hypothalamus above, behind the optic chiasm.
The term pituitary was given by Vesalius. This gland appears like a small pen nut structure situated at the base of the brain in the sella turcica of sphenoid bone of the cranium (brain box). It remains attached to the floor of the third ventricle by a stalk called pituitary stalk. Average weight of pituitary is 0.57 gm.
The endocrine glands in human body are: pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, thymus gland, islets of Langerhans, adrenal gland, ovary and testis.