The two portions of the pituitary can easily be distinguished even at this level. The right side shows the posterior pituitary, the left portion shows the anterior pituitary. The large space between is the intraglandular cleft, a remnant of Rathke's pouch from which the anterior pituitary tissue is derived. In early pituitary development, a middle portion (the pars intermedia) exists but is not present in the mature pituitary of humans.
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