Difference Between Pituitary and Pineal Gland

Pituitary vs Pineal Gland

In general, there are two types of glands in our body. The first type is the duct glands that release theirsecretionsout through the ducts into some holloworgans; like the salivary glands of the mouth and gastric glands of the stomach. The second type of glands does not have ducts, but release their secretions directly into the bloodstream, which carries the secretion to their effective place elsewhere. The second type is commonly referred to as ‘无管腺’, and their secretions are calledhormones。The main ductless glands in the body are pituitary, pineal, gonads (testicles in the male and ovaries in the female), thymus,pancreas,thyroid, parathyroid, andadrenal腺体。在这些腺体中，松果体和垂体是神经内分泌腺，其中包含神经内分泌细胞，位于大脑中。这些细胞与nerveand sensory cells, and do not release theirneurotransmittersatsynapses, but secrete them directly into the blood as hormones.

Pituitary Gland

Pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain posterior to the optic chiasm and is attached to the下丘脑通过一个小茎。它被称为化合物endocrine glandbecause of its microscopic structure. Pituitary is composed of two parts; namely, anterior pituitary and posterior pituitary. These two parts differ in many ways including their secretion hormones, embryonic origins etc. (Read more:Difference Between Anterior Pituitary and Posterior Pituitary)

The posterior pituitary gland secretes two hormones;antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which stimulates the reabsorption of water from urine, andoxytocin, which stimulates the contractions of uterus and milk ejection in the mammary glands. The anterior pituitary gland secretes seven hormones; namely, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), melanocyte- stimulating hormone (MSH),growth hormone(GH), prolactin (PRL), thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH).

松果体

Pineal gland is located in the roof of the third ventricle of the brain in manyvertebrates。The gland is pinecone-shaped and about the size of a pea, which gives it its name. Pineal gland is evolved from a medial light- sensitive eye in primitive vertebrates. It is still present in some primitive fish and some modern reptiles. However, in other vertebrates, it is buried in the brain acting as an endocrine gland. Pineal gland secretes only the Melatonin hormone, which is a derivative ofamino acid。褪黑激素的分泌受下丘脑调节，分泌在黑暗中被激活。GOND，大脑和色素细胞是褪黑激素的有效位置。褪黑激素主要通过在夜间增加血液的浓度并在白天减少相同的血液来调节生物节奏。此外，它有助于调节某些脊椎动物的生殖循环。

What is the difference between Pituitary and Pineal Glands?

• Pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain and is attached to hypothalamus by a small stalk, whereas pineal gland is located in the roof of the third ventricle of the brain.

• Unlike the pineal gland, pituitary gland is composed of two parts.

• Pituitary gland secretes nine hormones while pineal gland secretes only one hormone.

• Pineal gland helps to regulate biological rhythms, whereas pituitary gland helps to regulate many biological processes such as growth, stimulating the secretion of other hormones, milk ejection, uterus contraction,ovulation,spermatogenesisetc.