Endocrine Organs Flashcards
Which ectodermal groove of the pharyngeal arches is the only one that doesn’t fully zip up and why?
The ectodermal groove between the 1st and 2nd arch, because it forms the external auditory meatus.
Why does the first pharyngeal arch divide in two?
It contributes to the maxilla and the mandible which are either side of the stomodeum.
What are the three layers of a pharyngeal arch?
Endodermal pouch
Mesodermal arch
Ectodermal groove
What does the oropharyngeal membrane separate?
Ectodermal derivatives (on the side of the primitive mouth cavity), from endodermal derivatives (on the side of the pharyngeal apparatus).
What 4 things does each pharyngeal arch give rise to?
Muscle
Cranial nerve
Cartilage
Artery
Which cranial nerves are each of the pharyngeal arches and all their muscle derivatives innervated by?
1st = trigeminal 2nd = facial 3rd = glossopharyngeal 4th = superior laryngeal branch of vagus 6th = recurrent laryngeal branch of vagus
Which muscles does each pharyngeal arch give rise to?
1st = muscles of mastication
2nd = muscles of facial expression
3rd = stylopharyngeus muscles
4th + 6th = muscles of larynx and pharynx
Which bones are formed from the cartilage derived from each pharyngeal arch?
1st = maxilla and mandible
2nd + 3rd = hyoid bone
Which artery supplies the derivatives of each pharyngeal arch?
1st = maxillary and external carotid 2nd = hyoid artery 3rd = common carotid and internal carotid 4th = right subclavian artery and left aortic arch 6th = pulmonary arteries and ductus arteriosus
What attaches the hypothalamus to the pituitary?
Infundibulum
Which region of the brain is the hypothalamus part of?
Diencephalon
What houses the pituitary?
Sella turcica (pituitary fossa) in sphenoid bone.
What are the two lobes of the pituitary gland?
Anterior = adenohypophysis Posterior = neurohypophysis
What is the adenohypophysis a derivative of?
Oral ectoderm, from the roof of the mouth
What is the neurohypophysis a derivative of?
Neuroectoderm, from the diencephalon
How does the pituitary gland form?
The hypophyseal diverticulum (Rathke’s pouch) grows up from the oral cavity, and the neurohypophysis grows down to meet it.
How are intracranial, intraosseous, and pharyngeal accessory anterior lobe tissue formed?
If the stalk of the hypophyseal diverticulum doesn’t regress properly.
Describe the hypothalami-hypophyseal portal system.
The superior hypophyseal artery (branch of internal carotid) supplies blood to the primary plexus of the portal system which is just at the junction between the median eminence of the hypothalamus and the infundibulum.
The neurosecretory cells of the hypothalamus release hormones into the primary plexus which are then carried in the hypophyseal portal veins to the secondary plexus in the anterior pituitary, where they stimulate the endocrine cells.
The anterior pituitary released hormones into the anterior hypophyseal veins which drain into the cavernous sinus.
How are hormones released from the posterior pituitary gland?
Neurosecretory cells from the paraventricular cells store oxytocin in synaptic terminals in the posterior pituitary, and neurosecretory cells from the suprachiasmic nucleus store vasopressin in synaptic terminals in the posterior pituitary. The inferior hypophyseal artery (from the internal carotid artery) supplies blood to the capillary plexus of the infundibular process, into which oxytocin and vasopressin are released on nervous stimulation.
Blood then drains into the posterior hypophyseal arteries and into the cavernous sinus.
What is the histology of the adenohypophysis?
Highly vascular, with cords of epithelial cells wrapped around capillary beds.
What are some types of endocrine cells found in the adenohypophysis?
Somatotrophs - secrete growth hormone
Mammotrophs - secrete prolactin
Corticotrophs - secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone and melanocyte-stimulating hormone
Thyrotrophs - secrete thyroid stimulating hormone
Gonadotrophs - secrete luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone
What two types of cells make up the neurohypophysis?
Mostly unmyelinated axons, also pituicytes (specialised glial cells)
At what level is the thyroid gland usually found?
Level of the cricoid cartilage (isthmus just at the top of the cricoid cartilage)
What is the lobe of the thyroid gland that is the most common remnant of the thyroglossal duct, and why is it important to remember it may be there?
Pyramidal lobe, highly vascular so caution is needed in the event of an emergency tracheotomy.
What contributes to the capsule of the thyroid gland?
Pretracheal fascia
Where does the blood supply to the thyroid gland come from?
Superior thyroid artery from the external carotid artery, inferior thyroid artery from the thyrocervical trunk from the subclavian artery.
Where does blood from the thyroid gland drain?
Superior and middle thyroid veins into the internal jugular vein.
Inferior thyroid vein into the brachiocephalic vein.
Why does thyroidectomy carry a risk of leaving the patient with a hoarse voice?
Damage can be done to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which paralyses part of the vocal cords.
What is the pit called from which the thyroid gland starts developing, and where is it?
Thyroid primordium, develops between the floor of the 1st and 2nd pharyngeal arch, and burrows down through the developing tongue to the hypobranchial mesoderm.
As the thyroid primordium burrows down, what does it form, and what is the lumen of this structure called?
Thyroid diverticulum.
Lumen = thyroglossal duct
What is the opening of the thyroglossal duct called?
Foramen cecum
What is the difference between where the thyroid gland develops and where the parathyroid glands develop?
The thyroid gland develops in the midline, the parathyroid glands develop on either side and migrate down and medially.
What do you call remnants of the thyroglossal duct which remain as thyroid tissue but are not attached to the thyroid itself?
Ectopic remnants of thyroid descent (accessory thyroid tissue) e.g lingual thyroid, cervical thyroid
Always solid midline swellings
What do you call the fluid-filled swellings formed by incomplete closure of the thyroglossal duct?
Thyroglossal duct cysts e.g lingual thyroglossal duct cyst, cervical thyroglossal duct cyst
Midline fluid filled swellings
What makes the thyroid different to other endocrine tissue?
It stores a precursor to its secretory product extracellularly.
What is a thyroid follicle comprised of?
Colloid, surrounded by a layer of follicular cells, surrounded by a basement membrane.
What type of epithelium are the follicular cells in the thyroid?
Cuboidal epithelium
What are the cells other than follicular cells in the thyroid?
Parafollicular (C) cells, which are larger, more darkly staining and found in between the follicles. They secrete calcitonin which is involved in calcium homeostasis.
How many parathyroid glands are there in total?
4 - 2 superior and 2 inferior
Where are the parathyroid glands, and where do they get their blood supply?
Enclosed in the capsule of the thyroid gland posteriorly, although position is variable, and usually supplied by superior and inferior thyroid arteries.
What are the two types of cells in the parathyroid gland?
Majority = chief/principal cells which secrete parathyroid hormone, and are found in a cord-like structure wrapped around a capillary bed
Also oxyphil cells, which have uncertain function
Where do the superior and inferior parathyroid glands originate?
Inferior parathyroid glands = endodermal groove below 3rd pharyngeal arch
Superior parathyroid glands = endodermal groove below 4th pharyngeal arch
What do you call the remnant of an ectodermal groove that hasn’t fully zipped up, and how are they different to thyroglossal duct cysts?
Cervical sinus/cyst - will be on one side or the other, not in the midline like thyroglossal duct cysts
What is formed from where the ectoderm and endoderm of the groove under the first pharyngeal arch meet?
Tympanic membrane (ear drum)