Endocrine Organs

Pancreas: islets of Langerhans

Adrenal gland
Thyroid and parathyroid glands
Pineal body
Pituitary gland

ENDOCRINE
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
1. COMMONLY SAID THAT THEY HAVE
NO DUCTS
2. RICH SUPPLY OF BLOOD VESSELS
3. EACH GLAND SECRETE ONE/MORE
HORMONE SPECIFIC EFFECT
UPON ANOTHER TISSUE/ORGAN

4. THREE GENERAL CATEGORIES: (CHEMICAL

NATUR):
* GLANDS SECRETING/POLYPEPTIDE HORMONE:
HYPOPHYSIS, THYROID, PARATHYROID,
PANCREATIC ISLET CELLS, GONADS

* GLANDS SECRETING STEROID HORMONE:

GONADS, ADRENAL CORTEX

* GLANDS SECRETING NEUROTRANSMITTER:

ADRENAL MEDULLA

5.ORGANS THAT NOW WOULD BE

CALLED ENDOCRINE :
GUT TUBE ENTEROENDOCRINE
CELLS, ATRIAL CELLS OF HEART,
EXTRAGLOMERULAR MESANGIAL
CELLS, JUXTA GLOMERULAR CELLS
OF KIDNEY.

PANCREAS
Deep to the peritoneum, on the
posterior body wall
4 region : uncinate process, head,
body, tail
25 cm long, 5 cm wide, 1-2 cm
thick
Weight 150 grams

 Capsules CT septa
lobules
Vascular, nerves, and ducts in
septa
Exocrine and endocrine
Aciner
exocrine
Islets of Langerhans
endocrine

ENDOCRINE PANCREAS

Islets of Langerhans
One million scatter among the acini
3000 cells in one islet of Langerhans
Greater number in tail region
Sorrounded by reticular fiber > to
substance to encircle the network of
capillaries

Endocrine Pancreas
Islets of Langerhans: 100-200 m dia,
over 1 million islets per pancreas
Cords of cells separated by capillaries
Reticular fibers and a few fibroblasts
form thin capsule around islet
5 cell types, none of which can be
differentiated from each other by
standard histology techniques

5 Cell Types in Islets

Beta cells: 60-80% of cells, produce insulin (glucose
uptake by cells)
Alpha cells: larger, ~20% of cells, most at islet
periphery, produce glucagon (increases blood glucose
via gluconeogenesis during fasting)
Delta cells: few in number, produce somatostatin
(decreases glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide
release)
F cells: few in number, produce pancreatic
polypeptide (decreases pancreatic exocrine

secretion and bile secretion)

THYROID GLAND
A. GENERAL
1. A DULT HAS 2 LATERAL LOBES, 2 ISTHMUS
(PYRAMIDAL LOBE )
2. ENCLOSED IN DEEP CERVICAL FASCIA
CT STRATUM TRABECULAE AND SEPTA
3. GLAND LOBES LOBULES
4. LOBULES THYROID FOLLICLES
5. ORIGIN : THYROGLOSSAL DUCT. AT BASE OF
TONGUE

Thyroid Gland 1

Forms from gut endoderm

Anterior to larynx
Connective tissue capsule
Produces thyroxine and triiodothyronine
which increase metabolic rate
Follicles of low cuboidal/squamous
epithelium with lumen filled with colloid

Thyroid Gland 2
Between follicles are many fenestrated capillaries,
some connective tissue
Follicle cells synthesize and secrete colloid and then
pinocytose colloid, process it and release hormones
from basal surface of cell to capillaries
Parafollicular (C) cells: larger, pale staining, in follicle
epithelium or in clusters between follicles
secrete calcitonin which decreases blood calcium
by decreasing bone resorption by osteoclasts and
increasing bone formation by osteoblasts

B. HISTOLOGY
FOLLICLE
* IRREGULARY SPHEROIDAL
* SIMPLE FOLLICULAR EPITHELIUM
* FOLLICULAR CAVITY COLLOID

FOLLICULAR CELL
HISTOLOGY
ROUNDED NUCLEUS
FEW LIPID DROPLET

PHAGOSOMES OF COLLOID IF VERY

ACTIVE
ABUNDANT R.E. RET.
GOLGI APP. ON APICAL END
MITOCHONDRIA

PARAFOLLICULAR CELLS (C-CELLS)

FUNCTION

SECRETE CALCITONIN BLOOD

CALCIUM LEVELS
ORIGIN : ULTAMOBRANCHIAL BODY
PHARYNGEAL POUCHY
SINGLY/SMALL GROUP BETWEEN
FOLLICULAR CELLS

FOLLICULAR CELL
FUNCTION

APICAL ENDS FACING FOLL. CAVITY

BASA END ON BASEMENT MEMBRANE
CUBOIDAL/LOW CUBOIDAL TALL COLUMNAR
SYNTHESIZE THYROGLOBULIN INTO F.CAVITY
TRANSPORT IODINE INTO F.CAVITY & ENZYMES TO
ACTIVATED IODINE
UNDER TSH STIMULATION IODINATED
THYROGLOBULIN PHAGOCYTOSED BY FOLLICULAR
CELLS
T3 & T4 ARE RELEASED AT THE BASAL END CELL

PARA FOLLICULAR CELL

HISTOLOGY
R.E. RET
> FOLLICULAR CELLS

MORE EOSINOPHILIC CYTOPLASM

MODERATE GOLGI APP
MANY SMALL GRANULES

PARATHYROID GLAND
GENERAL
SMALL (6 mm X 3 mm) AT POSTERIOR ASPECT OF
EACH LATRAL LOBE OF THYROID
TWO PAIR (INFERIOR : PHARYNGEAL POUCH III,
SUPERIOR: P POUCH IV)
C-TISSUE PARTIALLY DIVIDE INTO POORLY
DEFINED LOBULES
TWO CELLS TYPES (PARENCHYMA)

Parathyroid Glands
4 small glands, 3 X 6 mm on posterior side of
thyroid
Thin connective tissue capsule
In older individuals most of gland may be
unilocular adipose tissue
2 cells: Chief cells and oxyphil cells
Parathyroid hormone stimulates increased
osteoclast activity leading to increased blood
calcium and phosphate

Parathyroid Gland Cells

Chief cell: most common, small
polygonal cells with acidophilic
cytoplasm; secrete parathyroid hormone
Oxyphil cell: less common, larger,
acidophilic cytoplasm; function unknown,
may be a different physiological state of
chief cell

PRINCIPAL (CHIEF CELLS)

POLYHEDRAL
ROUND NUCLEUS

LARGE GOLGI APP.

SMALL SECRETORY GRANULES
SOME R.E. RET
SECRETE PARATHORMONE
BLOOD CALCIUM LEVEL

OXYPHIL CELLS
> THAN CHIEF CELLS
- SMALLER DARKER STAINING NUCLEI
- CYTOPLASM STAINS WELL WITH EOSIN
- CONTAIN FINE GRANULES
- ABUNDANT MITOCHONDRIA
NOT PRESENT UNTIL 10 YEARS OF AGE
MAY REPRESENT A STATE IN THE LIFE
CYCLE OF THE CHIEF CELL
SMALL COLLOID FOLLICLES MAY
REPRESENT

Adrenal Gland 1
Flattened on one side
Lies at superior pole of kidney in perirenal adipose tissue
Capsule of dense irregular connective
tissue
Capsule may have septa/trabeculae
Stroma of reticular fibers and fibroblasts

Adrenal Gland 2
Outer cortex and inner medulla are 2
separate organs with different functions
Cortex is mesodermal in origin
Medulla is from neural crest (ectoderm)
Both areas highly vascularized
Endothelium fenestrated

Adrenal Cortex
3 layers; in humans not always easily
distinguished
Zona glomerulosa: outer layer
Zona fasciculata: middle layer
Zona reticularis: inner layer

Adrenal cortex

Zona Glomerulosa
Rounded clusters of cells surrounded by
capillaries
Spherical nuclei, distinct nucleolus
Acidophilic cytoplasm with few lipid
droplets
Extensive SER, mitochondria with
lamellar cristae
Aldosterone and mineralcorticoid
production

Zona Fasciculata

Straight cords of cells radially oriented

Many lipid droplets
Many capillaries
Mitochondria with tubular cristae
Glucocorticoids and some androgens

Zona Reticularis
Smaller cells; mitochondria with tubular
cristae
Lipofuscin granules common and large
Fewer lipid droplets
Acidophilic cytoplasm
Degenerating cells present
Produce glucocorticoids and some androgens
Some macrophages may be present

Adrenal Medulla
Cells in cords with reticular fiber network
Many capillaries
Cells have large spherical nuclei and many
cytoplasmic granules containing epinephrine
or norepinephrine
Epinephrine released by sympathetic
activation resulting in peripheral
vasoconstriction, hypertension, increased
heart rate and increased blood glucose

Pituitary and Hypothalamus

Pituitary consists of 2 glands
Neurohypophysis (posterior pituitary)
contains axon terminals of neurosecretory
neurons; oxytocin and vasopressin
Adenohypophysis
pars distalis (anterior lobe)
pars tuberalis (around infundibulum)
pars intermedia

Pituitary Vasculature
Hypothalmo-hypophyseal portal vessels
from median eminence to
adenohypophysis
Artery/vein system supplying and
draining neurohypophysis

Adenohypophysis:
Pars distalis
Pars intermedia
(not found in humans)
Pars tuberalis

Adenohypophysis: Pars Distalis

Cords of cells with many capillaries

Chromophobe cell: pale staining or
unstained; function not known
Chromophil cells
acidophils stain red, more
numerous
somatotrophs and
mammotrophs
basophils stain blue
thyrotrophs, gonadotrophs,
corticotrophs

Anterior pituitary

Hormone-Producing Cells of the

Adenohypophysis
Somatotrophs: growth hormone
Mammotrophs: prolactin
Gonadotrophs: follicle stimulating
hormone and leuteinizing hormone
Thyrotrophs: thyroid stimulating
hormone
Corticotrophs: adrenocorticotropin

Release and Release-Inhibiting Factors

Proteins and amino acid derivatives
released into median eminence that flow
to adenohypophysis via portal vessels and
control pituitary cells
Somatostatin decreases growth hormone
Dopamine decreases prolactin
GnRH increases LH and FSH
Corticotropin releasing hormone increases
ACTH

Adenohypophysis
Pars tuberalis: surrounds infundibulum,
mostly gonadotrophs
Pars intermedia: rudimentary in humans,
may have follicles containing colloid; function
unknown; well-developed in other mammals,
releases melanocyte stimulating hormone

Pars nervosa
Colloid
Pars distalis

Neurohypophysis
Includes the infundibulum and pars nervosa
Unmyelinated axon terminals from
hypothalamic neurons
Herring bodies
Pituicytes: astrocyte-like glial cells
Vasopressin: vasoconstriction, water
resorption in kidney
Oxytocin: smooth muscle contraction,
parturition, milk ejection
Behavioral effects in pair bonding and
maternal behavior

Posterior pituitary
(pars nervosa)
Pituicyte nuclei
Herring body

Pineal Body
Located in caudal diencephalon of brain
Cell cords with many nerve fiber endings
Pinealocytes: basophilic cytoplasm with large
irregular nucleus; produce melatonin
Astroglial cells: darker nucleus, long
processes with glial filaments
May have concretions: brain sand
Melatonin inhibits gonad development in
prepubertal humans, may regulate diurnal
rhythmns, sleep/wake cycles, antioxidant, jet
lag