Image from: Ben-Shlomo, A. and Melmed, S. (2011). Hypothalamic Regulation of Anterior Pituitary Function. The Pituitary, [online] pp.21-45. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123809261100021 [Accessed 8 Mar. 2020].

Image from: Ben-Shlomo, A. and Melmed, S. (2011). Hypothalamic Regulation of Anterior Pituitary Function. The Pituitary, [online] pp.21-45. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123809261100021 [Accessed 8 Mar. 2020].

The anterior pituitary can be divided into 3 main parts: the pars intermedia, pars tuberalis and the pars glandularis (Ben-Shlomo and Melmed, 2011). The pars glandularis is the most abundant section consisting of around 4/5 of the entire gland (Ben-Shlomo and Melmed, 2011). The gland itself came from the oral ectoderm and appears to look like an endocrine gland (Ben-Shlomo and Melmed, 2011). There are several different cell types present in the anterior pituitary: somatrophs for growth hormone (GH); prolactin secreting lactotrophs (PRL); corticotrophs for adrenocorticotropin (ACTH); gonadotrophs for luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and thyrotrophs for thyroid secreting hormone (TSH) (Ben-Shlomo and Melmed, 2011).

References: BEN-SHLOMO, A.&MELMED, S., 2011. Hypothalamic Regulation of Anterior Pituitary Function. In:Pituitary, TheThird Edition ed., pp. 21-45.