RC

2022

ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

 After participating successfully in this session and related
activities, you should be able to:
• Enumerate the organs of the endocrine system
• Describe the position, parts, cellular contents, and hormones of
each gland
• Correlate the basic anatomical data with their clinical
application

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 üThe endocrine system is a major control system of the body.
üThrough hormones, it stimulates such long-term processes as growth
and development, metabolism, reproduction, and body defense.
üEndocrine organs are either mixed glands (both endocrine and
exocrine in function) or purely hormone producing (endocrine).
üHormones are either fat-soluble (steroid) or water-soluble (amino
acid-based) hormones.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 • Purely endocrine organs:
• Pituitary gland
• Pineal gland
• Thyroid gland
• Parathyroid glands
• Adrenal: 2 glands
• Cortex
• Medulla
• Endocrine cells in other organs:
• Pancreas
• Thymus
• Gonads
• Hypothalamus
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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 • It is the Master of the endocrine
system.
• It is a pea-sized gland and weighing
about 0.5 gram.
• The pituitary gland lies in the cranial
cavity hanging from the hypothalamus
by a stalk and is enclosed by bone
(pituitary fossa of sphenoid bone)
• It consists of a
1) Glandular anterior lobe
(adenohypophysis) and
2) A neural posterior lobe
(neurohypophysis)
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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 • It is under the control of the
hypothalamus.
• The anterior lobe
(adenohypophysis) is connected to
the hypothalamus by the
hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal
veins.
• While the posterior lobe
(neurohypophysis) is connected to
the hypothalamus by the
hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract.
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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 It secretes 9 hormones:
• Anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis)
The first four are “tropic”
hormones, they regulate the 5.GH (growth hormone)
function of other endocrine
glands
• Posterior pituitary
(neurohypophysis)
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
1.TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
2.ACTH (adrenocorticotropic
hormone)
3.FSH ( follicle stimulating hormone)
4. LH ( luteinizing hormone)
6.PRL (prolactin)
7.MSH (melanocyte-stimulating
hormone)
8.ADH (antidiuretic hormone), or vasopressin
9.Oxytocin
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 clinical
application

• Gigantism –Increase in Growth Harmone(GH) in childhood

• Acromegaly – Increase in GH in adulthood
• Pituitary dwarfism – Decrease in GH in childhood
• Diabetes insipidus - decrease in ADH

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
• It is a part of the epithalamus, located at
the posterior wall of the third ventricle.
• It is pine-cone shaped measuring about 6
mm.
• It has two types of cells :
• Pinealocytes – hormone secreting cells.
• Glial cells – supporting cells.
• In middle age, the gland commonly
becomes calcified, and can be
subsequently identified on radiographs and
CT scans of the head (brain sand)
clinical
• The pineal gland produces melatonin hormone application
• In children, a pineal gland tumour (which invades and
destroys the gland), produces an accelerated onset of
puberty (precocious puberty).
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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 • The thyroid gland is located in the
lower anterior part of the neck.
• It is butterfly-shaped, formed of two
lobes connected to each others by an
isthmus.
• Each lobe is pyramidal in shape and
lies lateral to the larynx, trachea,
pharynx and esophagus.
• The isthmus lies in front of the
upper trachea.
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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
• Thyroid is composed of spherical follicles
• Follicle cells: produce thyroglobulin, the precursor
of thryoid hormone Thyroxin
• Colloid lumen is of thyroglobulin
• Parafollicular “C” cells: produce calcitonin
Clinically can cause
• Goiter- Swollen of thyroid
• Hyperthyroidism – Increased thyoid hormone
• Hypothyroidism - Decreased thyoid hormone

clinical
application

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 • Four glands, two on each side
• Embedded on the posterior surface of
the thyroid lobes
• It is composed of
• Chief cells: parathyroid hormone
• Oxyphil cells (unknown function)

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 Hypocalcemia
(low blood Ca2+)

PTH is most important PTH release from

parathyroid gland
hormone for calcium
homeostasis

Osteoclast activity Ca2+ reabsorption Activation of

Increases blood calcium in bone causes Ca2+
and PO43- release
in kidney tubule vitamin D by kidney

levels 3 ways into blood

Ca2+ absorption
from food in small
intestine

Ca2+ in blood

Initial stimulus
Physiological response
Result
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
• Present on the upper pole of each kidney clinical
application
• Formed of two parts
1) Adrenal cortex
2) Adrenal medulla
• The adrenal cortex is formed of three layers which
produce three groups of steroid hormones:
1) Zona glomerulosa: Mineralocorticoids.
2) Zona fasciculata: Glucocorticoids.
3) Zona reticularis: Sex steroids (androids)
• The adrenal medulla has chromaffin cells which
produce catecholamines (epinephrine
norepinephrine) in response to sympathetic nervous
system stimulation.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
 clinical
application
• Gross anatomy discussed before
• The endocrine portion of the pancreas is the
islets of Langerhans, scattered between the
acini.
• The islets have the following cells:
1) Alpha cells: produce glucagon.
2) Beta cells: produce insulin.
3) Delta cells: produce somatostatin.

Deficiancy of insulin is one of causes of

Diabetes mellitus

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022