Pituitary gland help control the following body processes: Some of the diseases involving the pituitary gland are: All of the functions of the pituitary gland can be adversely affected by an over- or under-production of associated hormones. The pituitary gland is important for mediating the stress response, via the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis) Critically, pituitary gland growth during adolescence can be altered by early life stress such as childhood maltreatment or maternal dysphoric behavior. It has been demonstrated that, after controlling for age, sex, and BMI, larger quantities of DHEA and DHEA-S tended to be linked to larger pituitary volume. Additionally, a
Evolution of the brain as we progressed along the human timeline of evolution (see Homininae), starting from about 600 cm in "Homo habilis" up to 1600 cm in "Homo neanderthalensis" (male averages). The increase in brain size topped with Neanderthals; Brain size of "Homo sapiens" varies significantly between population (races), with male averages ranging between about 1,200 to 1,450 cm. Evolution of the brain The principles that govern the evolution of brain structure are not well understood. Brain to body size does not scale isometrically (in a linear fashion) but rather allometrically. The brains and bodies of mammals do not scale linearly. Small bodied