Endocrine Glands

Ductless glands
Endocrine Glands - pour their
secretions directly into the blood.
Secretion of these = hormones.
The different endocrine glands of the
body:
1.Hypophysis cerebri (Pituitary)
2. Thyroid
3.Parathyroid glands
4.Suprarenal gland (Adrenal)
5.Pineal gland
6.Islets of Langerhans (Pancreas)
7.Interstitial cells of the testes
8.Follicles and corpus luteum of
ovaries
9.Some cells of kidney, placenta and
lining epithelium of G.I.T.
 SKULL ANATOMY
NEUROCRANIUM

SPLANCHNOCRANIUM
 SKULL ANATOMY
CALVARIA INTERIOR OF SKULL
SKULL ANATOMY
Pituitary gland
 PITUITARY GLAND / HYPOPHYSIS CEREBRI

• Oval shaped
• A neuroglandular body
• Weighs = 500 mg.
• Dimensions
– AP – 8 mm
– Transverse – 12 mm
• Master gland of the
body under control of
hypothalamus.
 PITUITARY GLAND - SITUATION
• Sella Turcica
(Hyphophyseal fossa,
pituitary fossa)
• Present in middle
cranial fossa of interior
of skull
• Connected to floor of
3rd ventricle by pituitary
stalk or infundibulum
 COVERINGS
• The duramater of
meninges forms 2
characteristic features
1. Gets closely adherent
to the capsule of the
gland – so no space
between the gland and
meninges – no CSF in
between
2. Forms a complete
covering over the sella
turcica – called
diaphragma sella. This
is pierced by the
infundibulum or
pituitary stalk
 Diaphragma
sella

Infundibulum

Pituitary
fossa Duramater of
meninges
Pituitary
gland
 RELATIONS
• SUPERIOR RELATIONS
– Diaphragma sella
– OPTIC CHIASMA
– Infundibular recess of
third ventricle
 RELATIONS
• INFERIOR & ANTERIOR
– Sphenoidal air sinus
 RELATIONS
• LATERAL
– Cavernous sinus &
structures related to it
• Internal carotid artery
• Abducent nerve
• maxillary nerve
• Ophthalmic nerve
• Oculomotor nerve
• Trochlear nerve
 PARTS

• ADENOHYPOPHYSIS
– Anterior pituitary

• NEUROHYPOPHYSIS
– Posterior pituitary
 PARTS
• ADENOHYPOPHYSIS

– Tuberal lobe (syn: pars

tuberalis)

– Anterior lobe (syn: pars

anterior / pars distalis /
pars glandularis)

– Intermediate lobe (syn:

pars intermedia)

Intraglandular cleft ?
 PARTS
• NEUROHYPOPHYSIS
– Median eminence

– Infundibular stem

– Posterior lobe (syn:

neural lobe, pars
posterior neuralis)
 BLOOD SUPPLY
• ARTERIAL SUPPLY –
from Internal Carotid
artery
– Pair of superior
hypohyseal artery

– Pair of inferior
hypophyseal artery

• VENOUS DRAINAGE
– Dural venous sinuses
HYPOPHYSEAL PORTAL SYSTEM
 Secretory cells of pars distalis
• Somatotropes – acidophilic – growth hormone (GH)
(somatotropin) –
• Mammotropes – acidophilic – prolactin –
• Gonadotropes – basophilic – follicle stimulating
hormone, luteinizing hormone –
• Thyrotropes – basophilic – Thyroid stimulating
hormone (thyrotropin)
• Corticotropes – basophilic – adrenocorticotropin
(ACTH) & alpha MSH ?
• Melanotropes? – basophilic alpha MSH?
 Neurohypophysis
• Cyclic peptides made up of nine amino acids.
• Arginine vasopressin (ADH)
• Oxytocin
• Each hormone is joined to a binding protein –
Neurophysin
• Herring bodies – neurosecretory granules
accumulating at the end of axons in pars nervosa.
• Cells of neurohypophysis - - pituicytes – specific type
of highly branched glial cell.
 CLINICAL
IMPORTANCE
• PITUITARY TUMOURS
– Adenomas common
– Micro-adenomas –
asymptomatic
– Macro-adenoma –
enlarge superiorly –
compress the optic
chaisma – bitemporal
hemianopia
– Acromegaly / gigantism
CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
CLINICAL IMPORTANCE