Video Transcript
True or False: The pituitary gland
is located on top of the kidney. (A) False, (B) true.
The following question asks us
about the location of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is part of the
endocrine system. The endocrine system is a series of
glands that secretes hormones into the blood. The glands that make up the
endocrine system are located throughout the body. There are three endocrine glands in
the brain: the pineal gland, the pituitary gland, and the hypothalamus. Of these three glands, the
pituitary gland is considered to be one of the most important glands in the
endocrine system. This is because the hormones that
it secretes influence many other endocrine glands.
There are four endocrine glands in
the neck and abdomen area. They are the thyroid, the thymus,
the pancreas, and the adrenal glands. Unlike the thyroid, the thymus, and
the pancreas, the adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney. These glands are very important for
regulating metabolism, blood pressure, and the stress response.
Finally, there is a pair of
endocrine glands located in the gonads. These glands differ between males
and females. In males, the sexual glands are
called the testes. In females, the sexual glands are
called the ovaries. The testes and ovaries produce
hormones involved in the development of male or female secondary sexual
characteristics.
So, as we just reviewed, the
pituitary gland is located beneath the hypothalamus in the brain, while in contrast
the adrenal glands are found on top of each kidney. Now that we have reviewed the
location of the endocrine organs, we are able to answer our question correctly. The statement that the pituitary
gland is located on top of the kidney is false.
