Endocrine anatomy Flashcards
What is the Hypophysis cerebri?
The pituitary gland
Where is the pituitary gland located?
In the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid bone located in the centre of the brain
What is the infundibulum?
The hollow stalk which connects the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary gland.
Where is the neurohypophysis derived from?
The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland is derived from the brain
Where is the adenohypophysis derived from?
The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland is derived from the roof of the mouth
What is the arterial blood supply of the pituitary gland?
The internal carotid artery
What is the venous drainage of the pituitary gland?
Into the cavernous sinuses
What is the innervation of the pituitary gland?
The vasomotor sympathetic nerves via the carotid plexus
What is the significance of the capillary plexus around the pituitary gland when it comes to the release of inhibitory/stimulatory factors?
The capillary plexus if formed of superior hypophyseal arteries that pass to the neural stalk where the capillary plexus forms.
The neurones from the hypothalamus terminate close to the plexus and release inhibitory/stimulatory factors into them
What do the inferior hypophyseal arteries supply?
The main part of the neurohypophysis and part of the neural stalk
What is the pineal gland connected by and where?
It’s connected by a short stalk to the roof of the diencephalon at the posterior extremity of the 3rd ventricle in the mid-sagittal line
Is the pineal gland covered in the pia mater?
Yes
What is the arterial blood supply of the pineal gland?
The posterior cerebral artery
What is the function of the pineal gland?
To produce and secrete melatonin
What are Pinealocytes?
Secretory cells of the pineal gland
They lie among capillaries
When is melatonin secreted?
During periods when no light enters the eyes
What is brain sand?
Calcified bodies within the pineal gland that form with age
At which vertebral level is the thyroid gland located?`
C5
When does the thyroid gland naturally enlarge?
Woman naturally have a slightly bigger one which increases still during menstruation and pregnancy
Which tracheal rings does the isthmus of the thyroid gland lie anterior to?
2nd, 3rd, and 4th tracheal rings
Which muscles cover the thyroid gland anteriorly?
The infrahyoid muscles (strap muscles)
Is the thyroid enclosed in 2 fascial capsules?
Yes
Which fascia is the denser outer capsule of the thyroid continuous with?
The pretracheal fascia which also covers the larynx and trachea
It moves up and down with the larynx during swallowing
What is the arterial blood supply to the thyroid?
Superior thyroid artery, a branch of the external carotid
Inferior thyroid artery, a branch of the subclavian artery
