W1 Anatomy and Microanatomy of the Endocrine System Flashcards

1
Q

name four of the major endocrine organs:

A

any four of:
pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, liver, stomach wall, adrenal gland, kidneys, pancreas, ovary, placenta, testes, adipose tissue, small intestine, skin, thyroid gland, heart and parathyroid glands

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2
Q

do endocrine organs have ducts?

A

no they are ductless

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3
Q

what do endocrine organs do?

A

secrete hormones directly into the blood, lymph or tissue fluid

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4
Q

are the endocrine and nervous systems integrated?

A

yes (neurohormonal system)

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5
Q

what are hormones?

A

a chemical substance released by endocrine glands and each has a particular function which are carried out on target organs by the vascular system

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6
Q

the hypothalamus is the most ventral part of what?

A

the diencephalon

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7
Q

what does the hypothalamus control?

A

regulates temperature, thirst, hunger, sexual behaviour, blood volume etc (maintains homeostasis)

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8
Q

how does the hypothalamus coordinate the pituitary gland?

A

through the secretions of peptides and amines

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9
Q

what are the two types of hormones produced?

A

releasing or inhibitory (hypophysiotropic hormones

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10
Q

what are clusters of neurons in the hypothalamus referred to?

A

nuclei

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11
Q

what do the nuclei of the hypothalamus do?

A

intergrade and regulate vital body functions

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12
Q

what are peptidergic neurons and what do they do?

A

they are peptide neurotransmitters that send axons to the posterior pituitary and secrete releasing hormones to the anterior pituitary

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13
Q

the hypothalamic-neurohypophysical system consists of magnocellular neurosecretory neurons that synthesise what?

A

oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP)

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14
Q

where is OXT and AVP synthesied?

A

at somata in the hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN)

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15
Q

where are the neuropeptides produced by the SON and PVN of the hypothalamus secreted into?

A

into the circulation from axonal terminals in the neurohypophysis (NH)

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16
Q

what does peptidergic mean in terms of neurons?

A

a neuron that secretes peptide hormones as their neurotransmitters

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17
Q

what is the pituitary gland also known as?

A

hypophysis

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18
Q

where is the pituitary gland?

A

a small unpaired organ that is suspended below the diacephalon in the hypophyseal fossa of the sphenoid bone (between the optic chiasm and mammillary body

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19
Q

what suspends the pituitary gland from the hypothalamus?

A

infundibulum or hypophysial stalk (containing nerve fibres and small blood vessels

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20
Q

the pituitary gland is derived from two embryologically-distinct tissues, meaning it is composed of which two tissue types?

A

neural and glandular

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21
Q

what area forms the adenohypophysis?

A

an area of the roof of embryonic oral ectoderm (Rathke’s pouch) extending upward meeting the neurohyophissi and extending downward as an outpouching from the floor of the third ventricle

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22
Q

what is the adenohypophysis?

A

an outgrowth of the pharynx connected to the hypothalamus by a vascular network allowing humoral control of adenohypophyseal secretions by the hypothalamus

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23
Q

what are the three lobes of the pituitary gland?

A

anterior, intermediate and posterior

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24
Q

which lobe is the adenohypophysis?

A

the anterior lobe

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25
Q

which lobe is the neurohypophysis?

A

the posterior lobe

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26
Q

what are the three subdivisions of the adenohypophysis?

A

pars distalis, pars tuberalis and pars intermedia

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27
Q

which subdivision of the adenohypophysis does not have an extensive blood supply contiguous with the hypothalamus?

A

pars intermedia

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28
Q

what does the pars intermedia release their hormones in response to?

A

dopaminergic and serotonergic innervation

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29
Q

the bulk of the adenohypophysis is pars distalis which is composed of which two general cell types?

A

chromophils and chromophobes (50/50)

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30
Q

what are chromophils subdivided into?

A

acidophils and basophils

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31
Q

what do acidophils contain?

A

polpeptide hormones - somatotrophs and lactotrophs

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32
Q

growth hormone is what type of hormone?

A

somatotroph

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33
Q

prolactin is what type of hormone?

A

lactotrophs

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34
Q

what do basophils contain?

A

thyrotrophs, gonadotrophs and corticotrophs

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35
Q

thyroid stimulating hormone is what type of hormone?

A

thyrotrophs

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36
Q

follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone are what type of hormone?

A

gonadotrophs

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37
Q

adrenocortiotropic hormone is what type of hormone?

A

corticotrophs

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38
Q

what colour does acidophils cytoplasm stain (histology)?

A

red or orange

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39
Q

what colour does basophil cytoplasm stain (histology)?

A

blue (ish)

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40
Q

do chromophobes have cytoplasm that stain well or poorly?

A

poorly

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41
Q

what ‘pars’ is the thin zone of basophilic cells interspersed with colloid filled cysts?

A

pars intermiedia

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42
Q

what type of hormone is alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone?

A

melanotrophs

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43
Q

which ‘pars’ are melanotrophs found?

A

pars intermediate

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44
Q

which ‘pars’ have cells that form folding sheets and occasional cysts, capillaries in this gland are fenestrated and it contains melatonin receptors?

A

pars tuberalis

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45
Q

the pars tuberalis is a tubular sheath that extends from the pars distalis and winds around what?

A

the pituitary stalk

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46
Q

what are the three parts of the neurohypophysis?

A

median eminence, infundibular stalk and pars nervosa

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47
Q

where can you find the median eminence?

A

at the base of the hypothalamus

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48
Q

what is the infundibular stalk?

A

nerve tract

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49
Q

what forms the bulk of the neurohypophysis?

A

pars nervosa

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50
Q

neurohypophysis has a lumen thats continuous of the lumen of what?

A

the brains third ventricle

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51
Q

paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei both produce peptides OXT and ADH which are released from where?

A

neuronal axons into the capillaries of the posterior pituitary

52
Q

what are herring bodies?

A

secretory vesicles along the axons

53
Q

what is vasopressin?

A

antidiuretic hormone

54
Q

what are tropic hormones?

A

hormones that have other endocrine glands as their target (most are from the pituitary)

55
Q

what are tropic hormones produced by?

A

neurosecretory cells in several of the hypothalamic nuclei

56
Q

follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone target which endocrine organs?

A

the testes and ovaries

57
Q

ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) targets which endocrine organ?

A

the adrenal cortex

58
Q

growth hormone targets which endocrine organ?

A

liver and other tissues

59
Q

prolactin targets which endocrine organ?

A

mammary glands

60
Q

what is TSH?

A

thyroid stimulating hormone

61
Q

communication of the hypothalamus with the adenohypophysis is via which system?

A

hypophysial portal system

62
Q

what is the hypophysial portal system?

A

a system of blood vessels in the brain that connects the hypothalamus with the adenohypophysis

63
Q

where does the hypophysial portal system begin?

A

at the base of the hypothalamus

64
Q

neurohormones from the hypothalamus are released to what system?

A

hypothalamic-pituitary portal system

65
Q

neurohormones bind to receptors on what cells?

A

endocrine cells

66
Q

describe how and where neurohormones ADH and OXT are transported/stored:

A

they are placed in vesicles and transported to the posterior pituitary and stored, each terminal stores either vasopressin or oxytocin but not both

67
Q

hormones that are conveyed along axons within the hypothalamic-hypophysial tract are released into hwere?

A

a neurohypophyseal capillary bed

68
Q

what does ADH/vasopressin cause?

A

stimulates vasoconstriction and promotes fluid reabsorption by the kidneys (constricts vessels to raise blood pressure (arterioles))

69
Q

oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions and does what do the mammary gland?

A

stimulates milk let-down

70
Q

what do specialised osmoreceptors located in the hypothalamus do?

A

continuously monitor the solute concentration of the blood

71
Q

how does the neurohypophysis differ from the adenohypophysis in terms of hormone release?

A

the neurohypophysis releases hormones synthesised by the hypothalamus whereas the adenohypophysis releases hormones that it has synthesised itself

72
Q

how does the neurohypophysis differ from the adenohypophysis in terms of connection to the hypothalamus?

A

the neurohypophysis is connected to the hypothalamus by a neural pathway whereas the adenohypophysis is connected to the hypothalamus by a vascular link

73
Q

does the neurohypophysis have a portal system?

A

no, neurohormones are deposited directly into the capillaries

74
Q

what species is the intermediate lobe of the adenohypophysis absent in?

A

birds and cetaceans (whales, dolphins)

75
Q

what is the epiphysis also known as?

A

the pineal gland

76
Q

what is the pineal gland?

A

a small organ shaped like a pine cone that is part of the epithalamus, located mid brain

77
Q

the pineal gland is attached to the caudal end of the roof of what? what is this directly before?

A

roof of the third ventricle and directly before the rostral colliculi

78
Q

in lower vertebrates the pineal gland is directly p___________e

A

photosensitive

79
Q

which is the only endocrine gland that is directly influenced by the external environment? via what?

A

the pineal gland via the retina

80
Q

what secretes melatonin?

A

pinealocytes

81
Q

the pineal gland contains pinealocytes and a_______

A

astrocytes

82
Q

what is the corpora arenacae?

A

extracellular concretions that consist of calcium phosphates and carbonates in an organic matrix deposited in concentric layers

83
Q

what is an astrocyte?

A

a star-shaped cell that is a type of neuroglia found in the nervous system

84
Q

what are the three types of glial cells in the mature nervous system?

A

astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglial cells

85
Q

where is the ‘master biological clock’ that serves as the pacemaker for circadian rhythm located?

A

in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

86
Q

where is melatonin synthesised?

A

by the pineal gland, in the retina, lens, ciliary body and other parts of the body like the iris, lacrimal gland skin and also the gut

87
Q

circadian rhythms and season effect breeding, sleep etc and innate what?

A

innate immune response

88
Q

describe the eye-pineal neural pathway (retinal hypothalamic tract) effecting melatonin production:

A
  • light enters the eye and is captured by the retina where it turns into an electrochemical signal
  • signal travels down retinal-hypothalamic tract to neural synapse suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
  • then continues to another synapse in paraventricular nucleus (PVN)
  • then travels through the brainstem to the spinal cord to a synapse in the superior cervical ganglion (reduces activity of nerve fibres of pineal gland)
  • this decreases norepinephrine release which decreases cyclic AMP in pineal gland
  • decreasing cAMP concentration lowers function of NAT (n-acetyltransferase)
  • results in less production of melatonin
89
Q

what is the thyroid?

A

a small dark-tan, oval shaped lobe attached to the trachea on the right and left side, caudal to the cricoid cartilage, spanning 5-8 tracheal rings (species differences)

90
Q

what may thyroid lobes be connected by?

A

an isthmus (fused in pigs)

91
Q

what is the thyroid derived from?

A

pharyngeal endoderm

92
Q

how many pairs of parathyroid are there?

A

usually two pairs (external and internal)

93
Q

what is the larynx?

A

a musculocartilaginous organ guarding the entrance to the trachea

94
Q

each thyroid gland is embedded in deep what?

A

cervical fascia

95
Q

lobules of the thyroid consist of many units called what?

A

thyroid follicles

96
Q

thyroid hormones are synthesised in what?

A

colloid

97
Q

what is colloid?

A

a viscous protein rich fluid that serves as an extracellular storage site for thyroid hormone

98
Q

within the wall of the thyroid follicles there are what cells?

A

parafollicular cells

99
Q

follicular cells can be columnar, cuboidal or squamous depending on what?

A

their synthetic activity

100
Q

what are C cells?

A

parafollicular cells

101
Q

what do C cells secrete?

A

calcatonin, a polypeptide involved with calcium metabolism

102
Q

what is tetraiodothyronine also known as?

A

thyroxine or T4

103
Q

what is triiodothyronine also known as?

A

T3

104
Q

what do T3 and T4 help with?

A

regulation of the metabolic rate

105
Q

what are the two types of cells present in parathyroid glands?

A

chief cells and oxyphil cells

106
Q

what do chief cells do?

A

majority of cells in the parathyroid - they secrete PTH which monitor calcium in the blood

107
Q

what is PTH?

A

parathyroid hormone

108
Q

what effect does PTH to the bone have?

A

increases blood calcium by inhibiting deposition of calcium and stimulating removal of calcium

109
Q

what effect does PTH to the kidney have?

A

increases blood calcium by increasing calcium ion reabsorption by kidney tubular cells and inhibits reabsorption of phosphate ion from glomerular filtration

110
Q

what effect does PTH to the small intestine have?

A

increases the absorption of calcium

111
Q

the thyroid has a generous blood supply, which arteries supply it?

A

cranial thyroid artery (common carotid artery) and caudal thyroid artery, runs alongside major arteries, the jugular vein and laryngeal nerve

112
Q

the thyroid receives both sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation, where is each from?

A

sympathetic - routed through the cranial *
parasympathetic - through the laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve

113
Q

describe the adrenal gland:

A

paired glands located craniomedially to the kidneys, surrounded by a capsule and organised into a peripheral cortex and central medulla

114
Q

what is the adrenal cortex derived from?

A

the mesoderm

115
Q

what is the function of the adrenal cortex?

A

to produce adrenocorticoid hormones

116
Q

what does the zona glomerulosa secrete?

A

mineralcorticoids

117
Q

what does the zona fasciculata secrete?

A

glucocorticoids

118
Q

what does the zona recticularis secrete?

A

sex steroids or androgens

119
Q

where is the adrenal medulla derived from?

A

the neural crest ectoderm

120
Q

what hormone consists of 95% of the hormones produced by the zona glomerulose?

A

aldosterone (for sodium reabsorption)

121
Q

what does the adrenal medulla convert amino acids into?

A

catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine etc)

122
Q

which two places does norepinephrine come from?

A

the adrenal medulla and postganglionic sympathetic neurons

123
Q

is pancreas endocrine activity controlled by pituitary hormones?

A

no

124
Q

the pancreas is a lobulated and encapsulated gland consisting of which two functional components?

A

endocrine and exocrine

125
Q

what does most of the pancreas consist of?

A

tubuloacinary secretory units/clusters or epithelial cells (pancreatic islets)

126
Q

the pancreatic islets are known as?

A

islets of langerhans