FAE Flashcards
What are the derivatives of ectoderm?
Nervous system, skin, sweat glands, hair and nails.
What are the derivatives of the mesoderm?
Blood, endothelium, heart, kidney, reproductive system, bones, skeletal muscle and connective tissue.
What are the derivatives of the endoderm?
Digestive tract, respiratory tract, endocrine glands and organs, auditory system and urinary system.
What are the three parts of the primitive gut in the embryo?
- Foregut
- Midgut
- Hindgut
What is the allantois?
A blind-ended sac that is found connected to the hindgut in the embryo. It has no function in humans.
What is the function of the vitelline duct?
It connects the yolk sac to the primitive midgut through the umbilical cord.
What will the ceolomic cavities eventually become?
The peritoneal cavities in the gut and the cavities surrounding the lungs in the thorax.
What are the arteries that supply the foregut, midgut and hindgut in the embryo?
Foregut = coeliac trunk.
Midgut = superior mesenteric artery.
Hindgut = inferior mesenteric artery.
What does the foregut give rise to?
- Pharynx
- Oesophagus
- Lower respiratory tract (trachea and lungs)
- Stomach
- Upper part of duodenum
- Bile duct
- Liver
- Pancreas
How do the pharynx and oesophagus develop?
They start as a hollow tube and then get filled in with cells. These cells then die and leave the tube once more.
What happens when development of the oesophagus and pharynx goes wrong?
Esophageal stenosis = where all of the cells are not removed causing a thickening of the oesophagus.
Duplication = part of the tube is blind ended - encourages bacteria to grow causing infections.
Atresia = where there is a block in the oesophagus.
How does the respiratory tract develop?
The cells bud off from the pharynx and form the respiratory diverticulum which then grows downwards and becomes the lung bud.
What is a tracheoesophageal fistula?
Where there is an abnormal connection between the trachea and the oesophagus that forms during development.
How does the pancreas develop?
The cells bud out of the duodenum. One ventral bud and one dorsal bud (larger). The ventral is pulled around to the left and sits below the dorsal and fuses with it.
What does the midgut give rise to?
- Half of the duodenum
- Jujenum
- Ilium
- Caecum and appendix
- Ascending colon
- Proximal 2/3 of the transverse colon
How far does the midgut rotate during development?
270 degrees
What is non-rotation?
Where the jejunoileal loops of the small bowel are not inside the large intestine, they are to the side.
What is a volvulus?
A rotation of the small intestine which leads to constriction of the blood vessels. Caused by mixed rotation during development of the midgut.
What is omphalocoele and gastroschisis?
Omphalocoele = where the intestinal loops end up in the umbilicus (umbilical cord).
Gastroschisis = where the intestines come out through the anterior abdominal wall just lateral to the umbilicus.
What is Meckel’s diverticulum?
A small diverticulum of the small bowel that occurs in 2% of the population. It is a remnant of the umbilical cord.
What does the hindgut give rise to?
- Distal 1/3 of the transverse colon
- Descending colon
- Sigmoid colon
- Rectum
- Superior part of the anal canal
- Epithelium of the urinary bladder and most of the urethra
What is the terminal region of the hindgut called?
The cloaca (Latin for the sewer).
What is the proctodeum?
It is a structure in the developing hindgut that will form the skin of the anal canal, the lower half of the anal canal and the most distal part of the urinary tract.
What is the pectinate line?
The boundary between the hindgut and the proctodeum parts of the anus.
What does the rotation of the stomach mean for the vagus nerve?
The left branch of the vagus nerve is anterior after rotation and the right branch is posterior as they travel across the stomach. They become the anterior and posterior vagal trunks.
List the endocrine glands of the body.
- Pituitary (anterior and posterior)
- Thyroid
- Parathyroids
- Islets of Langerhans (pancreas)
- Gonads
- Pineal gland
- Hypothalamus
- Adrenal glands
How are protein and peptide hormones produced?
- Synthesised from DNA into preprohormones.
- Cleaved by proteolytic enzymes to form prohormones which are stored in the cell as granules in secretory vesicles.
- The active hormone is released from the vesicles by exocytosis stimulated by increase in intracellular Ca.
Why are steriod hormones not stored in glands?
They are fats so easily move through plasma membranes. This means they are released dependent on the rate of synthesis.
What causes the long half life of steroid hormones?
They are bound to albumin when they circulate through the blood.
What are eicosanoids?
They are local chemical messengers derived from arachidonic acid that exert a wide variety of effects in many organs and tissues. They are mainly associated with autocrine and paracrine activity.
They include prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes.
What happens when steroid hormones enter the nucleus of a cell?
Steroid hormones bound to its receptor form dimers in the nucleus. These dimers then bind to the DNA and stimulate transcription of a particular gene.
What happens when lipid insoluble hormones bind to their receptors?
The conformation of the receptors is changed. This leads to changes in the intracellular domain and triggers a signalling cascade leading to the cell’s response to the hormone.
What are the two main lobes of the pituitary?
- Anterior/adenohypophysis = glandular
- Posterior/neurohypophysis
What are the embryological origins of the lobes of the pituitary?
- Posterior = an invagination of the forebrain (diencephalon).
- Anterior = an outgrowth of the buccal cavity (Rathke’s pouch).
What is the infundibulum?
The stalk of the pituitary which suspends the gland from the hypothalamus. Running through it are nerve fibres from the hypothalamus.
What hormones does the posterior pituitary secrete?
- Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
- Oxytocin
How are hormones secreted from the anterior pituitary?
Hormones are secreted by the hypothalamus and travel down a network of capillaries called the pituitary portal blood system that run down to the anterior pituitary where the hormones are then secreted.
What are the five different endocrine cell types found in the anterior pituitary?
- Gonadotroph
- Corticotrophs
- Somatoroph
- Lactotroph
- Thyrotroph
Describe the hormone cascade from the anterior pituitary.
See diagram on slide 77 of Overview of Hormone Secretion lecture (20th FAE)
What is an example of negative feedback in the endocrine system?
- Hypothalamus produces TRH which triggers the anterior pituitary to release TSH.
- TSH reaches the thyroid and triggers it to release T3 and T4 which carry out the desired effects.
- T3 and T4 return to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary and inhibit further release of TRH and TSH.
What are the characteristics of peptide/protein hormone secreting cells?
- Lots of RER
- Golgi
- Secretory vesicles
What are the characteristics of steroid-secreting cells?
- Lots of SER
- Abundant mitochondria
- Lipid droplets
What are the three parts of the anterior pituitary gland?
- Pars tuberalis
- Pars distalis
- Pars intermedia
What are the two parts of the posterior pituitary gland?
- Infundibulum (neural stalk, median eminence)
- Pars nervosa
What are the glial-like cells found in the posterior pituitary?
Pituicytes
What are the roles of ADH/vasopressin?
- Increases water retention in the kidney.
- Raises blood pressure by contracting vascular smooth muscle cells at high concentrations.
What are accumulations of hormones within the axons found in the posterior pituitary called?
Herring bodies
What is the pars distalis region of the anterior pituitary traditionally classified into?
- Acidophils
- Basophils
- Chromophobes
What cells make up acidophils?
- Somatotrophs
- Mammotrophs
What cells make up basophils?
- Thyrotrophs
- Corticotrophs
- Gonadotrophs
What cells are chromophobes?
They are either reserve cells or resting cells that have lost their secretory granules - also the stem cell population.
What does the pars intermedia secrete?
Melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)
What is the isthmus of the thyroid?
It is an area of tissue that connects the left and right lobes of the thyroid gland. It lies at the level of the 2nd-4th tracheal rings.
What is an embryological remnant associated with the thyroid gland?
The isthmus may be joined to the hyoid bone by a fibrous cord which is a remnant of the embryological thyroglossal duct.
What is thyroglobulin?
It is a large glycoprotein secreted by thyroid epithelial cells which accumulate in thyroid follicles as colloids. They store the inactive hormones that the thyroid gland secretes.
What happens to thyroid follicular cells when they are stimulated by TSH?
- Iodinated thyroglobulin is taken up from the colloid by the follicular cells (endocytosed).
- Lysosomes then break down the iodinated tyrosine into derivatives such as T4 and T3 which are released.
What are parafollicular cells?
They are cells found scattered in the thyroid gland. They are larger and more rounded than the follicle cells and secrete calcitonin which inhibits Ca mobilisation.
They are also called thyroid C cells.
Where are parathyroid glands found?
Usually they are found embedded in the posterior border of the lateral lobes of the thyroid gland.
What cells make up the parathyroid gland?
- Densley-packed small chief (or principal) cells that secrete parathyroid hormone which stimulates Ca mobilisation.
- Minor population of eosinophilic oxyphil cells of an unknown function.
Describe the anatomy of the suprarenal/arenal glands.
- The right gland is pyramidal and the left gland is crescent-shaped.
- The glands are separated from the kidney by connective tissue but are surrounded by renal fascia.
Describe the two parts of the adrenal glands.
1) Cortex is derived from the coelomic epithelium lining the posterior abdominal wall.
2) Medulla is derived from an adjacent sympathetic ganglion.
What are the three cell zones of the adrenal gland cortex?
- Zona glomerulosa
- Zona fasciculata
- Zona reticularis
What does the zona glomerulosa secrete?
Mineralocorticoids (95% is aldosterone) which causes Na retention in the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney. Cells are in rounded clusters surrounded by capillaries.
What does the zona fasciculata secrete?
Glucocorticoids (95% cortisol) which affects glucose, lipid and protein metabolism.
What does the zona reticularis secrete?
Some glucocorticoids and small quantities of sex steroids (mainly weak androgens) with unknown functional significance.
What is the innervation to the adrenal medulla?
- Receives cholingergic preganglionic sympathetic input from the greater and lesser splanchnic nerves via the coeliac ganglion.
- On stimulation, the medulla secretes catecholamines directly into the blood (80% adrenaline and rest noradrenaline).
What are the Islets of Langerhans?
Rounded clusters (100-200 µm in diameter) embedded within the exocrine pancreas. The cells are arranged in irregular cords around capillaries.
What are the four cell types found in the Islets of Langerhans and what do they secrete?
- A or α cells (~20%) secrete glucagon
- B or β cells (~70%) secrete insulin
- D or δ cells (5-10%) secrete somatostatin
- F or PP cells (1-2%) secrete pancreatic
polypeptide - Other, minor cell types secrete vasoactive-intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P, motilin,
serotonin, etc
What cells make up the suprarenal/adrenal medulla?
Chromaffin cells.
Why are epithelial cells dependent on diffusion for nutrients?
Because blood vessels never pass through the basement membrane, they are found in the connective tissue.
What is the clinical significance of the basement membrane?
In order for epithelial tumours to become metastatic, the basement membrane must be penetrated. Some cancers produce enzymes that can digest the mesh (SSC).
Where are squamous epithelia found?
In blood vessels and the epithelial layer of skin.
Where are cuboidal epithelia found?
In organs that are specialized for secretion, such as salivary glands and thyroid follicles, and those that are specialized for diffusion, such as the kidney tubules.
Where are columnar epithelia found?
They line most organs of the digestive tract including the stomach and small and large intestines. Simple columnar epithelia line the uterus.
What are psueodostratified and stratified epithelia?
Pseudostratified = all of the cells are attached to the basement membrane. A very convoluted single layer.
Stratified = not all are attached to the basement membrane. Those that are not adhere to each other.
What are transitional epithelia?
Where they frequently transition between contracting and stretching. These are found in the bladder and urethra. They must be waterproof and protect against toxic urine.
What is the difference between endocrine and exocrine?
Exocrine – secrete to free surface.
Endocrine – secrete to blood stream.
What is merocrine secretion?
Vesicles open onto the surface of the cell, and the secretory product is discharged from the cell - normal exocytosis.
What is apocrine secretion?
In sweat, mammary, prostate glands, part of the cell cytoplasm is lost into large vesicles when the product is released. This then re-grows.
What is the function of adherens junctions?
Joins an actin bundle in one cell to a similar bundle in a neighboring cell.
What are the functions of desmosomes and hemidesmosomes?
Desmosome = joins the intermediate filaments in one cell to those in a neighbouring cell.
Hemidesmosome = anchors the intermediate filaments in a cell to the basement membrane.
What are intermediate filaments make up of?
Keratin
What allows cell movement in rigid cell junctions?
The cytoskeletal and intermediate filaments.
What links cells to one another?
Anchor proteins (also linker proteins) are bound to cadherin dimers that link cells. Inside cells, the anchor proteins are attached to actin. Together this is an adherens junction.
Why are tight junctions important?
It maintains concentration/osmotic gradients as not even ions are allowed through.
What are two tight junction proteins?
- Claudin
- Occludin
Describe the channels that make up gap junctions.
The channel consists of 6 connexin proteins that come together in a circular manner to form a connexon with a central channel. There are different forms of connexin which can form either homomeric (all the same form) or heteromeric (different forms) channels.
When the pores do not align, the channels are closed. When the connexons join, the pores open.
What does semi-hard cartilage mean?
They can move but will always go back to their original conformation.
What is the major cell component of soft connective tissue?
Fibroblasts that produce the ECM which makes up the majority of this type of connective tissue.
What fills the spaces in soft connective tissue?
Very hydrophilic proteoglycans and glycoproteins.
What are the functions of soft connective tissue?
- Space filler and mechanical support.
- Attachment and protection.
- Highway for nutrients.
- Storage for fat and Ca (contains a lot of adipose cells).
- Site of immunological defence (where white blood cells migrate into and fight pathogens.
What is reticular soft connective tissue?
A subset of cells within the connective tissue that looks like stars. They are found in bone marrow and lymph nodes.
What causes a wide variety of properties between soft connective tissues?
Variation in the types of collagen and proteoglycans as well as the presence of elastin or not.
What forms a large hydrated gel in soft connective tissue?
- Proteins with sugar residues = glycoproteins.
- Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) = long chain sugar residues.
What does collagen contribute in soft connective tissue?
Collagen provides the tensile strength of the matrix.
In what type of tissue would you find a lot of collagen in the soft connective tissue?
A tissue where you want it to be resistant to deformation or stretching e.g. the connective tissue directly under the dermis.
In what tissues will you find types a) I; b) II; c) III and d) IV collagen?
a) Skin, bone, tendons, dentine
b) Cartilage
c) Blood vessels, skin
d) Basement membrane (sheet collagens)
What fibre helps push blood through the circulation?
The energy stores in elastic fibres of the soft connective tissue when they are stretched. These are found especially in arteries close to the heart.
What are elastic fibres made up of?
They are made as tropoelastin which polymerises in extracellular tissue.
Microfibres of structural glycoprotein fibrillin then incorporates into a core of cross-linked elastin to form elastic fibres.