Endocrine System I

Pituitary & Thyroid

I. Endocrine System - System of "ductless" glands

A. Secrete Hormones = Chemical Control Messengers
B. Local Hormones, "Target" cells near. ex. Neurotransmitters
above
C. General Hormones, "Target" cells at a distance. Carried in Blood
D. Target cells have "receptors" that allow them to respond to the
Hormone
E. Polypeptide Hormone receptor is on the cell surface
1. Hormone binds to the surface receptor
2. Triggers the production of a "second" messenger (usually
cAMP)
3. Activates an enzyme cascade
F. Steroid Hormone receptor is inside the cell
1. Acitvates DNA
II. Pituitary gland.
A. Anatomy

1. pars distalis (anterior lobe), stains darkly (right)

2. pars nervosa(posterior lobe), stains lightly (left)
3. pars intermedia, narrow tissue between the two
4. attached by the infundibular stalk, to the floor of the
brain
5. pars tuberalis, a continuation of the pars distalis on the
anterior surface of the infundibular stalk.
B. Formation
1. Floor of the diencephalon(Hypothalamus), Evagination -
Infundibulum
2. Roof of the Oral Ectoderm, Evagination - Rathke's Pouch
C. Pars distalis (Anterior lobe)
1. Blood sinusoids, abundant a venous portal system
connects to the hypothalamus.

Hypothalamus to Anterior pituitary => Releasing

Hormones
 2. Five hormone secreting cells!, Only 3 Histological cell
types.
3. Alpha or acidophil cells.
a. Cytoplasmic
granules stain pink
with eosin.
b. Predominate at the
periphery of the gland.
c. GH, Prolactin!
4. Beta or basophil cells.
a. Cytoplasmic granules stain blue with Delafield's
hematoxylin.
b. More toward the center of the gland
c. ACTH, FSH, TSH, LH !
5. Chief or chromophobe cells.
a. Cytoplasm stains poorly
b. .EM=some with few very small granules, others,
none
c. Star shapped, between capillaries
d. Center of the gland.
D. Pars intermedia (Posterior lobe)
1. Cords of weakly staining basophils, few secertory
granules, small barely visible
2. Intraglandular cleft, reminant of Rathke's Pouch,
Rathke's cysts, (front of the pars intermedia), cuboidal
epithelium, with colloid
3. Amphibians - MSH
4. Function not well understood
E. Pars nervosa (Neurohypothesis,
Posterior lobe)
1. No Secretory cells,
Neurosecretory cells in the
hypothalamus.
2. Processes into the pars
nervosa ( fibrous appearance, right photo )
3. ~ 100,000 unmyelinated axons
4. Rich capillary plexis.
5. Pituicytes 25% (glial cell) numerous cytoplasmic
processes that end in perivascular spaces
F. Pars tuberalis
1. Cells aranged in cords along blood vessels
2. Secrete mostly FSH & LH
III. Pituitary Gland (Master gland) Hormone Production
1. Hypothalamus Releasing Hormones (Control Anterior Pituitary
Function)
1. GBH- Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone
 2. LRH- Luteinizing Releasing Hormone-Both for FSH and
LH
3. PIH- Prolactin Inhibitory Hormone, Suppresses Prolactin
in non Pregnant
4. CRH, Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone, stimulates
release of ACTH
5. SRH( GRH) -Somatotrophin (Growth Hormone )
Releasing Hormone
6. Somatostatin, Somatotrophin and TSH Inhibitory
Hormone
2. Anterior Pituitary Gland
1. Somatotrophin = Growth Hormone (Stimulates Cell
division, Bone growth and Protein synthesis)
2. FSH - Stimulates Follicular Growth in Ovary,
Spermatogenesis in the male
3. LH - Stimulates Corpus luteum in Ovary, ICSH in male.
4. ACTH - Stimulates Adrenal Cortex
5. TSH - Stimulates Thyroid Gland
6. Prolactin, secretion of milk
3. Posterior Pituitary Gland
1. Vassopressin, Vasoconstrictor, ADH
2. Oxytocin , Stimulates uterine muscle contraction,
mammary gland milk release
IV. Thyroid gland
. Anatomy
1. Two lobes and isthmus
2. Cervical region
3. Anterior, inferior to Larynx
4. Extremely vascular
A. Capsule
1. Narrow layer of dense connective tissue
2. Wide external layer of loose areolar tissue.
B. Lobules

1. Scanty fibrous septa

2. Lobules of follicles. (T above)
C. Follicles
1. Round, oval, or irregular in
outline, completely closed
2. Simple cuboidal
epithelium with a hollow
centers
3. May be enlarged with
epithelium stretched thin. (hyperactivity of the gland)
4. Follicular cells
a. Cuboidal ( depending upon activity)
b. Thin basement membrane
c. Surrounded by fenestrated capillary networks.
(arrow)
5. Colloid
1. Clear, acidophilic material (stored secretion, 10 months supply!)
D. Thyroid gland functions (T3 & T4)
1. Metabolic rate of all cells (body heat production,
Catabolism)
2. Increases Glucose Utilization & carbohydrate absorption
from the gut
3. Maintains growth hormone secretion
4. Affects CNS development, RBC production, muscle tone
5. Maintains cardiac rate, force, output
6. Disorders - Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism, Goiters
E. Parafollicular cells or C (clear) Cells
1. Small isolated clusters outside of follicles
2. Pale staining cells(Calcitonin)
0. PTH antagonist, blocks osteoclast activity
1. Promotes both Ca++ & PO4- loss from the kidney
2. Inhibits Vit D activation in the kidney
3. Granules contain catecholamines.

Endocrine System II
Parathyroid & Adrenal

I. Parathyroid Gland
A. Histology
1. Two pair in posterior
surface of the Thyroid
2. Separated from
thyroid by a separate
membrane.
3. Capsule of connective
Tissue
4. thin septa, collagen and elastic fibers
5. Principal Cells
1. Polygonal cells with vesicular nucleus
 2. Pale stain, slightly acidophillic cytoplasm
3. EM secretory granules
4. Inactive cells, masses of glycogen granules
5. Most numerous, most Mammals, only cells
6. Oxyphil Cells,.acidphilic cytoplasm
1. Large Polygonal cells, larger than Principle cells
2. Many acidophillic granules in the cytoplasm
7. Adipose Cells, increase with age (older 50% of all cells!)
B. Parathyroid hormone
1. maintains blood level of calcium
2. absorbtion of calcium from intestines
3. mobilizes calcium from bones (osteoclast)
4. decreases renal reabsorbtiom of phosphate
5. activates Vit D3 in kidney
II. Adrenal Gland
A. Capsule
1. Layer of Dense Fibrous Connective Tissue
2. The outer portion is fused with the mesothelium (serosa)
in some areas.
B. Cortex
1. Cortex cord-like arrangement of 3 concentric layers of
cells
continously secrets, hypertrophy in stress
2. Zona glomerulosa
a. Narrow layer just under the capsule
b. Cells columnar or pyramidal, in clusters,
around capillaries
c. Dome-shaped or rounded arrangement of
closely packed cells.
d. Rounded nuclei with a round nucleolus
e. Acidophilic cytoplasm, basophilic granules,
and lipid droplets.
f. Sinusoids
g. Septa which separate the cells.
h. Mineral corticoids, aldosterone
1. SER acetate=> cholesterol
2. Mitochondria, cholesterol=> pregnenolone
3. SER pregnenolone +. Progesterone,
deoxycorticosterone
4. Mitochondria, Deoxycorticosterone =>
corticosterone =>18 hydroxycorticosterone
=> Aldosterone
 3. Zona fasiculata
. Thickest layer
a. Straight columns, 2 cells thick, separated
by septa which contain capillaries.
b. Cells are polyhedral, centrally located
nucleus
c. Large number of Lipid droplets give
them a fasiculated appearance.
d. Glucocorticoids, deoxycorticosteroids, 17-ketosteroids (sex hormones)
4. Zona reticularis
. Cells smaller than in other layers
a. Irregular network of cords of cells rich in
capillaries.
b. Cells similar, smaller, than those in the
other zones, differ ultrastructurally
c. Some irregular shaped cells with
pyknotic nuclei (degenerating cells!)
d. Glucocorticoids, 17-ketosteroids (sex hormones)?
5. Hormones of the Adrenal Cortex
0. Glucocorticoids - Increases blood glucose
a. Stimulates Gluconeogenesis (use amino acids), glycogenolysis
b. Stimulates hepatic enzymes synthesis for Gluconeogenesis
c. Stimulates protein catabolism
d. Increases circulation of aminio acids, fatty acids, ketone bodies, glucose
e. Lipolysis & Ketogenesis
f. Anti inflammatory
1. Mineralcorticoids (Adrenal Cortex) - Aldosterone
2. Sex Hormones(Adrenal Cortex) - Estrogens, Progesterones, Androgens,
Testosterone
C. Medulla
1. Histology
. Medulla irregular arrangement of
masses and network of cords of cells.
a. Between and around Blood sinusoids
and venules
b. few Sympathetic gangilon cells
c. "chromaffin cells" stain for
Catecholamines
2. Stores secretion in granules,
Continously secretes small amounts
Large quanties in response to stress
3. Hormones of the Adrenal Medulla
0. Epinephrine & Norepinephrine = "fight or flight" mobilization
1. Human 80% Epinephrine
III. Other Glands
A. Pineal Gland
 1. Connected to the roof of the diencephalon by a short stalk
2. Convered by pia mater
3. Irregular lobules of cellular cords and follicles
4. Unmyelinated nerve endings
5. Cell types
0. Pinealocytes, irregular nucleus, slightly basophilic cytoplasm
Produce melatonin, serotonin, pineal peptides (Neuroendocrine transducer)
Rhythmic changes in gonads and hypothesis
1. "Brain sand" calcified bodies, x-ray reference point
2. Interstitial cells, elongate nucleus, stain dark, between cords of
Pinealocytes,
resemble astrocytes (Astroglial)
B. Interstitial Cells of the Testis. See Testis
C. Follicular Cells of the Ovary. See ovary.
D. Corpus Luteal Cells of the Ovary. See ovary.