W1 Anatomy and Microanatomy of the Endocrine System Flashcards
name four of the major endocrine organs:
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
do endocrine organs have ducts?
no they are ductless
what do endocrine organs do?
secrete hormones directly into the blood, lymph or tissue fluid
are the endocrine and nervous systems integrated?
yes (neurohormonal system)
what are hormones?
a chemical substance released by endocrine glands and each has a particular function which are carried out on target organs by the vascular system
the hypothalamus is the most ventral part of what?
the diencephalon
what does the hypothalamus control?
regulates temperature, thirst, hunger, sexual behaviour, blood volume etc (maintains homeostasis)
how does the hypothalamus coordinate the pituitary gland?
through the secretions of peptides and amines
what are the two types of hormones produced?
releasing or inhibitory (hypophysiotropic hormones
what are clusters of neurons in the hypothalamus referred to?
nuclei
what do the nuclei of the hypothalamus do?
intergrade and regulate vital body functions
what are peptidergic neurons and what do they do?
they are peptide neurotransmitters that send axons to the posterior pituitary and secrete releasing hormones to the anterior pituitary
the hypothalamic-neurohypophysical system consists of magnocellular neurosecretory neurons that synthesise what?
oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP)
where is OXT and AVP synthesied?
at somata in the hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN)
where are the neuropeptides produced by the SON and PVN of the hypothalamus secreted into?
into the circulation from axonal terminals in the neurohypophysis (NH)
what does peptidergic mean in terms of neurons?
a neuron that secretes peptide hormones as their neurotransmitters
what is the pituitary gland also known as?
hypophysis
where is the pituitary gland?
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
what suspends the pituitary gland from the hypothalamus?
infundibulum or hypophysial stalk (containing nerve fibres and small blood vessels
the pituitary gland is derived from two embryologically-distinct tissues, meaning it is composed of which two tissue types?
neural and glandular
what area forms the adenohypophysis?
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
what is the adenohypophysis?
an outgrowth of the pharynx connected to the hypothalamus by a vascular network allowing humoral control of adenohypophyseal secretions by the hypothalamus
what are the three lobes of the pituitary gland?
anterior, intermediate and posterior
which lobe is the adenohypophysis?
the anterior lobe
which lobe is the neurohypophysis?
the posterior lobe
what are the three subdivisions of the adenohypophysis?
pars distalis, pars tuberalis and pars intermedia
which subdivision of the adenohypophysis does not have an extensive blood supply contiguous with the hypothalamus?
pars intermedia
what does the pars intermedia release their hormones in response to?
dopaminergic and serotonergic innervation
the bulk of the adenohypophysis is pars distalis which is composed of which two general cell types?
chromophils and chromophobes (50/50)
what are chromophils subdivided into?
acidophils and basophils
what do acidophils contain?
polpeptide hormones - somatotrophs and lactotrophs
growth hormone is what type of hormone?
somatotroph
prolactin is what type of hormone?
lactotrophs
what do basophils contain?
thyrotrophs, gonadotrophs and corticotrophs
thyroid stimulating hormone is what type of hormone?
thyrotrophs
follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone are what type of hormone?
gonadotrophs
adrenocortiotropic hormone is what type of hormone?
corticotrophs
what colour does acidophils cytoplasm stain (histology)?
red or orange
what colour does basophil cytoplasm stain (histology)?
blue (ish)
do chromophobes have cytoplasm that stain well or poorly?
poorly
what ‘pars’ is the thin zone of basophilic cells interspersed with colloid filled cysts?
pars intermiedia
what type of hormone is alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone?
melanotrophs
which ‘pars’ are melanotrophs found?
pars intermediate
which ‘pars’ have cells that form folding sheets and occasional cysts, capillaries in this gland are fenestrated and it contains melatonin receptors?
pars tuberalis
the pars tuberalis is a tubular sheath that extends from the pars distalis and winds around what?
the pituitary stalk
what are the three parts of the neurohypophysis?
median eminence, infundibular stalk and pars nervosa
where can you find the median eminence?
at the base of the hypothalamus
what is the infundibular stalk?
nerve tract
what forms the bulk of the neurohypophysis?
pars nervosa
neurohypophysis has a lumen thats continuous of the lumen of what?
the brains third ventricle