Pituitary Gland Hormones — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2024The pituitary gland is located in a bony cavity called sella tursica and is attached to hypothalamus by a stalk. It is divided anatomically into an adenohypophysis and a neurohypophysis. Adenohypophysis consists of two portions, pars distalis and pars intermedia. The pars distalis region of pituitary, commonly called anterior pituitary, produces growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Pars intermedia secretes only one hormone called melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH). However, in humans, the pars intermedia is almost merged with pars distalis. Neurohypophysis (pars nervosa) also known as posterior pituitary, stores and releases two hormones called oxytocin and vasopressin, which are actually synthesised by the hypothalamus and are transported axonally to neurohypophysis.
The anterior pituitary secretes six major hormones: GH, prolactin, TSH, ACTH, LH, and FSH. While the NCERT clearly lists these hormones, it doesn't explicitly describe their target organs or functions—a common trap in NEET questions. Students often confuse which hormones are produced anteriorly versus posteriorly, or forget that FSH and LH are gonadotropins targeting reproductive organs. Remember: anterior pituitary produces six hormones (use 'FLAT PiG' mnemonic: FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH, Prolactin, GH), while posterior pituitary only stores and releases two hormones (oxytocin and vasopressin) made by the hypothalamus. This distinction appears repeatedly in NEET MCQs.
This paragraph was tested 3 times in NEET.
Assertion (A): FSH acts on ovarian follicles in females and Leydig cells in males. Reason (R): Ovarian follicles secrete estrogen and interstitial cells secrete androgens. (NEET 2024)
In females, FSH stimulates: (NEET 2020)
Which endocrine gland is unpaired? (NEET 2020)
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.