pituitary gland Flashcards
what is a hormone
a chemical messenger
carried from the organ where they are produced to the organ which they affect by means of the blood stream
what are the 2 types of hormones
steroid and peptide
what is the synthesis of peptide hormones
synthesised as prohormones requiring further processing eg cleavage to activate
how are peptide hormones stored
in vesicles (regulatory secretion) - needs to be triggered to be released
what are receptors for peptide hormones
bind to receptors on cell membranes and transduce signals using secondary messenger systems
how are steroid hormones synthesised
in a series of reactions from cholesterol
how are steroid hormones stored
they aren’t ahahaha
they are released immediately
what are receptors for steroid hormones
they bind to intracellular receptors to change gene expression directly
what is another name for the anterior pituitary gland
adenohypophysis
where is the anterior pituitary gland derived from
an upgrowth from the oral ectoderm of the primitive oral cavity called Rathke’s pouch
it has epithelial origin
what is another name for the posterior pituitary gland
neurohypophysis
where is the posterior pituitary derived from
formed from a downgrowth of the diencephalon that forms the floor of the 3rd ventricle
neural origin
what regulates anterior pituitary function
hypothalamic parvocellular neurons
describe hypothalamic parvocellular neurons
short
terminate on median eminence
what do hypothalamic parvocellular neurons do
release hypothalamic releasing or inhibiting factors into the capillary plexus in median eminence
these factors are carried by portal circulation to anterior pituitary
is the anterior pituitary anatomically distinct from the hypothalamus
heck yea
what are the 5 endocrine cells in the anterior pituitary (some losers cry to god..)
somatotrophs lactotrophs corticotrophs thyrotrophs gonadotrophs
how are these endocrine cells regulated
regulated by hypothalamic releasing/inhibiting factors via hypophyseal-pituitary portal system