ANAPHY LAB (ENDTERM) Pituitary Gland

Functional Anatomy of the Endocrine Glands • The pituitary gland is located in the sella turcica
of the sphenoid bone.

• It has two functional areas, the posterior

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
pituitary (nervous tissue) and the anterior
 Second controlling system of the body pituitary (glandular tissue).
o The nervous system is the fast control
system.
 Uses chemical messengers (hormones) that are
released into the blood.

Major Endocrine Organs

Pituitary Gland
Posterior Pituitary Hormones

• pituitary gland

• thyroid gland • Posterior pituitary stores two hormones

transorted to it along axons from the
• parathyroid glands hypothalamus.
• adrenal glands • These hormones are the following:
• Pancreas • Oxytocin – responsible for sexual
• gonads (ovaries and testes) arousal, recognition, trust, and romantic
attachment.
• Thymus
-stimulates powerful uterine contractions during
• pineal gland birth and causes milk ejection in the lactating mother
 • Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) – causes
the kidneys to reabsorb more water
from the forming urine, thereby
reducing urine output, conserving body
water, and increasing blood pressure
Pituitary Gland
Anterior Pituitary Hormones
• The other hormones produced by the anterior
pituitary are not directly involved in regulating
other endocrine glands of the body:
• Growth hormone (GH), a general
metabolic hormone, plays an important
role in determining body size. It exerts
its main effects on muscle and long
bone growth.

• Prolactin (PRL) stimulates breast

development and promotes and
maintains milk production by the
mother’s breast after childbirth. Its
function in males is unknown.

• The anterior pituitary, or adenohypophysis,

secretes a number of hormones

• The anterior pituitary controls the activity of so

many other endocrine glands - master
endocrine gland.

• release of its hormones is controlled by

releasing or inhibiting hormones produced by
the hypothalamus.

• Tropic hormones - stimulate target organs that Hormones of the anterior pituitary and their major
are also endocrine glands to secrete their target organs
hormones. The tropic hormones include the
following:

• Gonadotropins—follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH) and luteinizing
hormone (LH)—regulate gamete
production and hormonal activity of the
gonads (ovaries and testes)

• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

regulates the endocrine activity of the
cortex portion of the adrenal gland.

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH),

aka thyrotropic hormone, influences the
growth and activity of the thyroid gland.
Thyroid Gland • They secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH), the
most important regulator of calcium phosphate
• composed of two lobes joined by a central
ion homeostasis of the blood.
mass, or isthmus.

• located in the throat, just inferior to the Adam’s

apple.

Adrenal Glands

• The two bean-shaped adrenal, or suprarenal,

glands are located atop the kidneys.

• Adrenal medulla develops from neural tissue

Thyroid Gland
and is directly controlled by sympathetic
Hormones
nervous system neurons.

• The medullary cells respond to this stimulation

by releasing epinephrine (80%) or
norepinephrine (20%), which act with the
sympathetic nervous system to produce the
“fight-or-flight” response to stressors.

• Thyroid hormone is two active hormones—T4

(thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine). Its
primary function is to control the rate of body
metabolism and cellular oxidation, so thyroid
hormone affects virtually every cell in the body.

• Calcitonin decreases blood calcium levels by

stimulating calcium deposit in the bones. It acts
antagonistically to parathyroid hormone, the
hormonal product of the parathyroid glands.

Parathyroid Glands

• The parathyroid glands are embedded in the

posterior surface of the thyroid gland.
 • Adrenal cortex produces three major groups of Gonads
steroid hormones, collectively called Female
corticosteroids.
• The female gonads, or ovaries, are paired,
• Mineralocorticoids, chiefly aldosterone, almond-sized organs located in the pelvic cavity.
regulate water and electrolyte balance
• In addition to producing the female sex cells
in the extracellular fluids, mainly by
(ova), they produce two groups of steroid
regulating sodium ion reabsorption by
hormones, estrogens and progesterone.
kidney tubules.

• Glucocorticoids (cortisone and cortisol)

help the body to resist long-term
stressors

• Sex hormones – chiefly androgens

(male sex hormones), but some
estrogens (female sex hormones) are
produced as well.

Pancreas

• located partially behind the stomach in the

abdomen
• acts both as an exocrine and an endocrine
gland.
• Elevated blood glucose levels stimulate release
of insulin, which decreases blood sugar levels
• Glucagon is stimulated by low blood glucose
levels. It stimulates the liver, its primary target
organ, to break down its glycogen stores to
glucose and to release the glucose to the blood.
• Estrogens – responsible for development of the
secondary sex characteristics of the female at
puberty (primarily maturation of the
reproductive organs and development of the
breasts) and act with progesterone to bring
about cyclic changes of the uterine lining called
the menstrual cycle. The estrogens also help
prepare the mammary glands to produce milk
(lactation).
• Progesterone – acts with estrogen to bring
about the menstrual cycle. During pregnancy it
quiets the uterine muscle and helps to prepare
the breast tissue for lactation.

Gonads
Male
 • The paired oval testes of the male are
suspended in a pouchlike sac, the scrotum,
Pineal Gland
outside the pelvic cavity.

• Produces male sex cells (sperm), and the male

sex hormone, testosterone.

• Testosterone promotes the maturation of the

reproductive system accessory structures,
brings about the development of the secondary
sex characteristics, and is responsible for the
male sexual drive, or libido.

Thymus

• Situated in the superior thorax, posterior to the • Small, pinecone-shaped

sternum and overlying the heart.
• Produces a hormone called thymosin, which
helps direct the maturation of a unique
population of white blood cells called T
lymphocytes or T cells.
• hangs from the roof of the third ventricle of the
brain.
• Produces melatonin, which appears to be
involved in the sleep-wake cycle.

• T lymphocytes are responsible for the cellular • Recent evidence suggests that melatonin has
immunity aspect of body defense; that is, anti-aging properties. Melatonin appears to play
rejection of foreign grafts, tumors, or virus- a role in the production of antioxidants.
infected cells.