Histology Of Endocrine Organs Flashcards
What are humoral stimuli?
Release of hormone controlled by monitoring levels of ions and nutrients in blood and body fluids
Ex. Monitoring Ca levels - release of PTH stimulated by low serum Ca)
What are neuronal stimuli?
Release of hormone stimulated by nerve signals
Ex. Release of epinephrine from adrenal gland in response to a signal from sympathetic nerve fibers
What are hormonal stimuli?
Release of hormone caused by a hormone secreted into bloodstream by another endocrine organ or cell
Ex. Release of thyroid hormone stimulated by release of TSH from the pituitary
Describe the organization of endocrine glands
Endocrine cells are arranged in cords, clusters or follicles and some are found as isolated individual cells
Are derived from epithelium and are epithelioid in nature (lack a free luminal surface)
Well vascularized with capillaries lined with fenestrated endothelium
What are the direct targets of the hypothalamus?
Anterior pituitary gland by secreting releasing or inhibiting factors
Kidney and uterus by releasing ADH and oxytocin in the posterior pituitary
Adrenal medulla via sympathetic innervation
What are the indirect targets of the hypothalamus?
Hypothalamus releases hormones (collectively referred to as the trophic hormones) that stimulate or inhibit the release of hormones from the anterior pituitary
Indirectly influences other endocrine organs by stimulating secretion of hormones by the anterior pituitary gland
Ex include hypothalamic hormones that stimulate release of TSH, somatotropin, ACTH, FSH and LH, prolactin and MSH from anterior pituitary
What is the embryological origin for the pituitary gland?
Anterior pituitary - from an ectoderm diverticulum that forms a vesicle called Rathke’s pouch and this ouch translocates towards and joins the developing infundibulum of the diencephalon
Posterior pituitary and infundibular stalk - from infundibular diverticulum of the diencephalon of the brain
What is the anterior pituitary gland composed of?
Glandular epithelial cells controlled by neurohormones released from hypothalamus
Includes the pars distalis (anterior most lobe of the pituitary), pars intermedia (intermediate lobe) and pars tuberalis (wraps around infundibular stalk)
What is the posterior pituitary composed of?
Axons from hypothalamus and support cells
Axons carry ADH and oxytocin for storage and release in posterior pituitary
Includes pars nervosa (posterior lobe), median eminence (base of the hypothalamus), and infundibular stalk (thin portion extending down from the eminence)
What are the major cell types in the anterior pituitary gland?
Somatotropin cells, thyrotropic cells, corticotropic cells, gonadotropic cells and mammotropic cells
What do somatotropin cells secrete?
GH
What do thyrotropic cells secrete?
TSH regulating thyroid gland secretion
What do corticotropic cells secrete?
ACTH and melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)
ACTH stimulates adrenal cortex to secrete stress related hormones and mediate metabolism
MSH stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin
What do gonadotropic cells secrete?
FSH and LH that act on the gonads
What do mammotropic cells secrete?
Prolactin which stimulates milk production
What cells comprise the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary?
Acidphils, basophils, chromophores (unknown function) and sinusoidal (fenestrated) capillaries
Which cells are acidphils?
Somatotrophs (GH) and mammotrophs (prolactin)
What cell types are basophils?
Corticotrophs (ACTH), thyrotrophs (TSH) and gonadotrophs (LH and FSH)
Describe the pars nervosa
Continuous with median eminence of the hypothalamus via infundibular stalk
Does not manufacture hormones rather stores and releases them from axon terminals
What does the pars nervosa consist of?
Hypothalamus unmyelinated axons (contain Herring bodies which are expanded axonal terminals storing ADH and oxytocin)
Pituicytes (glia-like) supporting the nerve fibers
Fenestrated capillaries
What is the function of ADH?
Targets the kidney and regulates Na and water retention
What is the role of oxytocin?
Targets uterine smooth muscle and stimulates lactation
Induces brith and may be involved in sexual arousal and pair and social bonding