The pituitary gland is the:

• A. Sensory relay
• B. Hormone control gland
• C. Coordination center
• D. Sleep regulation center

Answer: (B)

Think of the pituitary as the body’s main hormone-secreting organ. It releases several hormones that travel in the blood to regulate other endocrine glands and many body processes—growth, metabolism, stress responses, and reproduction—so its primary role is to control hormones. That regulatory, hormone-producing function is why it’s described as the hormone control gland. It isn’t a sensory relay like a brain relay center, nor a general brain coordination center, and it isn’t the sleep regulation center (that role involves other brain areas and signaling pathways). The pituitary sits at the base of the brain and is controlled by the hypothalamus, which coordinates its hormone release.