Endocrine System Flashcards
What does the endocrine system produce?
various secretions:
- hormones
- hormonally active substances
Where do hormones and hormonally active substances go?
- enter the circulatory system
- transport to target cells
What classes are hormones and hormonally active substances divided into?
Peptides:
- insulin
- GH
- ACTH
Steroids:
- gonadal
- adrenocortical steroids
Amino Acids / Arachidonic Acid Analogs:
- catecholamines
- prostaglandins
What is the function of the endocrine system?
- coordinates cell activities (organelles and tissues)
- maintains homeostasis
What are endocrine glands?
Glands whose major function is to secrete hormones.
State the endocrine part of the pancreas.
endocrine
exocrine- digestion (duct –> enzyme secretion)
What is the difference between endocrine and exocrine glands?
endocrine glands: no ducts! (secrete is always hormones!) released into circulatory system!
exocrine glands: has a duct system!
What is a different name used to describe the pituitary gland?
hypophysis
What two parts is the pituitary gland composed of?
1) Anterior Lobe (adenohypophysis):
- glandular epithelial tissues consisting of 3 parts: pars distalis, intermedia and tuberalis.
2) Posterior Lobe (neurohypophysis):
- neural secretory tissue
- developed from the neuroectoderm of the CNS
What is the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland made up of? Other name?
anterior lobe = adenohypophysis
GLANDULAR EPITHELIAL TISSUES
- pars distalis
- pars intermedia
- pars tuberalis
What is the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland made up of? Other name?
posterior lobe = neurohypophysis
NEURAL SECRETORY TISSUE
- developed from the neuroectoderm of the CNS
State the overall key points about the pituitary gland.
- small gland
- attached to the inferior surface of the brain
What similarities do the two pituitary lobes share?
rich capillary network (necessary for picking up secreting hormones)
Which part of the anterior lobe glandular epithelial cells is most histologically important? Why?
pars distalis: produces most hormones
State the histological composition of the pituitary gland.
- connective tissue stroma (supporting parenchymal cells) (between secretory cells)
- secretory cells
- secretory granules in pars distalis are identified as basophils (10%), acidophils (40%) and chromophobes (50%)
How are cells in the pars distalis of the pituitary gland identified? Into what?
- based on staining reactions
endocrine cell secretory granules:
- basophils (10%), (blue - hematoxylin)
- acidophils (40%) (dark red - eosin dye)
- chromophobes (50%) (orange/clear - (dye)phobia)
impossible to depict which cell produces which hormone!
What makes up most of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland? Other name?
Pituitary gland = hypophysis
- extention of the CNS
Axons (projecting from the neuron cell bodies in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus) make up most of the posterior lobe.
What is the function of the pituitary gland?
releases hormones
produced in the supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus:
- antidiuretichormone [ADH]
- vasopressin
paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus:
- oxytocin
Where are hormones produced for the pituitary gland?
in the hypothalAmus
What is the greatest difference between the anterior and posterior lobes of the hypophysis?
anterior lobe: produces hormones (secratory epithelial cells);
posterior lobe: stores hormones and releases them at specific times.
What is another name used for the Epiphysis Cerebri?
pinneal gland
What is the epiphysis surrounded by?
pia mater capsule
State the composition of the epiphysis cerebri.
Pinealocytes:
- primary cells
- large
- basophilic cells
- round nuclei
- secrete melatonin (association with circadian rhythms)
Astrocytes:
- interdigitate between the pinealocytes and capillaries
- astocyte like neuroglial cells (metabolism associated)
What is the stroma of the epiphysis cerebri based on?
pia mater
What is a special structural component found in the epiphysis cerebri? What is its function? What is it composed of?
Corpora Arenacea:
- intercellular calcium deposits
- associated with aging (accumulate with age)
- do not seem to affect glandular function.
-
light-sensitive endocrine organ is
responsible for the production of
melatonin and serotonin. - histological importance: helps indicate the specific location of the epiphysis cerebri
known as “brain sand”
What is the thyroid gland surrounded by?
connective tissue capsule:
- fine septa between the
follicles
State the arrangement of the parenchyma of the thyroid gland.
- spherical follicles
- surrounded by a dense capillary
network
State the histological composition of the thyroid gland.
(1) surrounded by a connective tissue capsule (fine septa b/w follicles).
(2) parenchyma arranged in spherical follicles (size varies with activity)
- size of follicles varies with
activity
- epithelium of follicles consists of
follicular lining cells ** (squamous - columnar)
- acidophilic lining with
numerous cytoplasmic secretory
vesicles, a basal nucleus and microvilli (apical surface).
(3)surrounded by a dense capillary
network.
squamous- no hormone production
columnar- hormone producting
What is a specific feature of the thyroid gland?
Usually glands are made up of a homogenous mass, yet the thyroid gland has follicles (spherical structure compartments).
What is the function of follicular cells? Where does this process take place?
produce thyroid hormones T4 and T3.
synthesis takes place in:
- follicular cells
- lumen of the follicle.