Histology of the
Endocrine System
(receptors)
Hormone
delivery
Synapse
(Neurosecretion)
Endocrine system
• Pituitary (hypophysis)
– Anterior pituitary
– Posterior pituitary
• Adrenal gland (suprarenal)
– Adrenal cortex
– Adrenal medulla
• Thyroid gland
– Follicles
– Parafollicular cells
• Parathyroid gland
Considered in other lectures:
– Endocrine pancreas
– Male
– Female
– Enteroendocrine
Location of pituitary
Pituitary development
Pituitary nomenclature
Pituitary nomenclature
Cells and hormones of the anterior pituitary
LM Cell type Hormone Releasing (+) or
staining inhibiting (-) horm.
Acidophil Somatotrope Growth hormone (GH) GHRH (+)
= somatotropin Somatostatin (-)
Acidophil Mammotrope Prolactin (PRL) [Dopamine (-)
= lactotrope estrogen (+)]
Basophil Thyrotrope Thyroid stimulating TRH (+)
hormone (TSH)
= thyrotropin
Basophil Gonadotrope Luteinizing hormone GnRH (+)
(LH), follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH); both =
gonadotropin
Basophil Corticotrope Adrenocorticotropin CRH (+)
(human) (ACTH) = corticotropin
Pituitary, low power LM
Anterior pituitary, LM, trichrome stain
Anterior pituitary, LM, H&E stain
Basophil
Immunocytochemical localization of growth hormone, LM
Immunocytochemical localization of
luteinizing hormone in gonadotropes, fluorescence
Nucleus
Nucleus
LH granules
Anterior
pituitary, EM
Pathway of
hormone
secretion
Cytoplasm of prolactin-secreting
cell (lactotrope), EM
Golgi
Secretory
granule
Rough ER
Golgi and secretory granules, EM
Mitochondrion Nucleus
Golgi
Granule
Exocytosis of prolactin granules, EM
Cells and hormones of the anterior pituitary
LM Cell type Hormone Releasing (+) or
staining inhibiting (-) horm.
Acidophil Somatotrope Growth hormone (GH) GHRH (+)
= somatotropin Somatostatin (-)
Acidophil Mammotrope Prolactin (PRL) [Dopamine (-)
= lactotrope estrogen (+)]
Basophil Thyrotrope Thyroid stimulating TRH (+)
hormone (TSH)
= thyrotropin
Basophil Gonadotrope Luteinizing hormone GnRH (+)
(LH), follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH); both =
gonadotropin
Basophil Corticotrope Adrenocorticotropin CRH (+)
(human) (ACTH) = corticotropin
Regulation of the anterior pituitary
Regulation of anterior pituitary, detail
SEM of pituitary:
portal veins,
capillaries, corrosion
vascular cast
Posterior pituitary
• Hormones
– Antidiuretic hormone (ADH = arginine vasopressin)
– Oxytocin
• Neurosecretion
– Hormones synthesized as part of larger proteins
(neurophysins) in neuron cell bodies of hypothalamus.
– Transported in axons to pars nervosa (hormone cleaved
from neurophysin).
– Hormone secreted from axon terminals into capillaries.
• Pituicytes
– Specialized glia of pars nervosa.
Posterior pituitary, diagram
Posterior pituitary, LM
Axon cross
sections?
Endings Capillary
Nerve endings
for hormone
release,
posterior
pituitary
Pituicyte
Pars intermedia,
between anterior and
posterior pituitary,
human, LM. Anterior Posterior
Poorly developed and of
doubtful function in
humans.
Intermedia
Pars intermedia, rat pituitary, LM
Rathke's pouch
ADRENAL GLAND
Adrenal (suprarenal) gland
Location of
the adrenal
(suprarenal)
gland, human
Human adrenal, low power LM
Adrenal cortex
• Zona glomerulosa
– Main hormone: Aldosterone (a mineralocorticoid).
– General function: Maintain blood electrolyte balance.
– Main control: Angiotensin II.
• Zona fasciculata
– Main hormone: Cortisol (a glucocorticoid).
– General function: Includes regulating glucose and fatty
acid metabolism, and response to stress.
– Main control: Pituitary ACTH.
• Zona reticularis
– Hormones: Some cortisol and androgens.
– Function and control: Similar to zona fasciculata.
Adrenal cortex, human, LM
Hadley Kirkman slide collection, slide K285
Adrenal cortex, human, H&E, LM
Humio Mizoguti, Kobe Univ Sch Med, slide 547
Adrenal blood vessels
Adrenal blood
vessels,
corrosion
vascular cast,
SEM
Zona glomerulosa (source of aldosterone), LM
Fasciculata
Zona fasciculata (source of cortisol), LM
Zona fasciculata, EM
SER
Endothelium
Capillary lumen
Smooth ER in the
cytoplasm of a zona
fasciculata cell, EM
Zona reticularis, LM
Medulla
Zona fasciculata
Adrenal medulla
• Hormones
– Epinephrine (adrenalin) and norepinephrine (noradrenalin),
both catecholamines. Two cell types, one for E and one for N.
– General function: Acute response to stress.
– Main control: Preganglionic sympathetic innervation.
• Embryonic source
– From neural crest cells, same as postganglionic sympathetic
neurons. Although adrenal medulla cells do not have dendrites
or axons, they behave like postganglionic sympathetic
neurons, releasing norepinephrine/epinephrine in response to
preganglionic sympathetic stimulation.
• Also called "chromaffin cells"
– Cells of the adrenal medulla are examples of "chromaffin cells,"
containing catecholamine granules that stain brown with
potassium dichromate. Neurons of sympathetic ganglia are
also chromaffin cells. The term is used in pathology.
Adrenal medulla, LM
EM of adrenal medulla: norepinephrine and epinephrine cells
Nucleus
Norepinephrine
Epinephrine
Nucleus
Nucleus
Production of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the cytosol
THYROID GLAND
Location of
thyroid gland
Thyroid gland
• Thyroid follicles
– Thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3).
– Synthesis: A very large protein, thyroglobulin (660 kDa), is
synthesized and then secreted into the follicle lumen. It is later
taken up and broken down (with lysosomes) to yield T4 and T3.
– General function: To increase the body's metabolic rate.
– Main control: Pituitary TSH.
• Parafollicular cells (= C-cells)
– Hormone: Calcitonin.
– General function: Lower serum calcium.
– Main control: Serum calcium level.
Thyroid follicle
Thyroid, low power LM
Blood vessel
Thyroid follicles, LM
Thyroid follicles, LM
Thyroid capillary beds, corrosion vascular cast, SEM
Colloid
Production of
thyroid hormones
by a follicular cell
Synthesize thyroglobulin
and then secrete it into
the colloid. Iodinate
tyrosine residues on
thyroglobulin. When
stimulated by pituitary
TSH, take up the
thyroglobulin and break
it down in lysosomes to
release thyroid
hormones T3 and T4.
Colloid
Thyroid
follicular cell,
EM Golgi
Nucleus
Lysosome
(increase in thyroid size)
Causes of goiter
Normal
Functional states of
thyroid follicles
Normal
Underactive = hypoactive
Overactive = hyperactive
Underactive (hypoactive) thyroid follicles, LM
Overactive (hyperactive) thyroid follicles
Thyroid gland
• Parafollicular cells (= C-cells)
– Hormone: Calcitonin.
– General function: Lowers serum calcium.
– Main control: Serum calcium level.
C cell location in thyroid
C-cell in thyroid follicular epithelium, LM
C-cell
Immunocytochemical localization of calcitonin in C cells, LM
C cell
Parafollicular
cell (C cell),
EM
Regulation of serum calcium
Parathyroid hormone (from parathyroid) Ca++↑
Calcitonin (thyroid parafollicular cells) Ca++↓
PARATHYROID GLAND
Location of the
four
parathyroid
glands on the
back of the
thyroid
US Federal Government
Parathyroid gland
• Chief (or principal) cells
– Hormone: Parathyroid hormone (PTH).
– Main function: Raises serum calcium, lowers serum
phosphate.
– Main control: Serum calcium level.
• Oxyphil cells
– Occasional cells or small clusters.
– Function unknown.
– Name means "acid [stain] loving" (Greek).
Parathyroid gland (mostly chief cells) , low power LM
Blood vessel
Parathyroid, chief cells, one oxyphil (arrow), LM
Fat cell
Parathyroid
capillary bed,
corrosion
vascular cast,
SEM
Oxyphil cell cluster, LM
Fat
cell
Oxyphil cell, EM diagram
Nucleus
Mitochondrion