The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland that secretes hormones that regulate many other glands [GO]. An endocrine gland located ventral to the diencephalon and derived from mixed neuroectodermal and non neuroectodermal origin [ZFIN].
Comment:
Terminology note: hypophysis and pituitary gland are often used informally as synonyms, but the hypophysis also includes the small infundibular or pituitary stalk[Neumann 2020]; [homology-note] "It (the hypophysis) develops embryonically in all vertebrates from two ectodermal evaginations that meet and unite. (...) A well-developed hypophyseal system with functional connections to the hypothalamus is unique to craniates.[well established][VHOG]" xsd:string {date_retrieved="2012-09-17", external_class="VHOG:0000143", ontology="VHOG", source="ISBN:978-0030223693 Liem KF, Bemis WE, Walker WF, Grande L, Functional Anatomy of the Vertebrates: An Evolutionary Perspective (2001) p.510", source="http://bgee.unil.ch/"}; [taxon-note] "The lamprey possesses a distinct pituitary organ and hormones, the ascidian does not show distinct evidence of them [Sower S, Freamat M, Kavanaugh S. The origins of the vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) endocrine systems: new insights from lampreys. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009;161:20-9]"