ENDOCRINE GLANDS

Janak Awasthi
 Endocrine gland – ductless
gland whose secretion is
poured directly into blood
 Hormones – secretion of
endocrine gland that function
as chemical signals
Major glands:
 Pituitary gland

 Thyroid gland

 Parathyroid gland

 Adrenal gland

 Endocrine pancreas

 Pineal gland

 Diffuse neuroendocrine system

 PITUITARY GLAND (HYPOPHYSIS CEREBRI)

LOCATION
 Small neuroglandular
structure located in the sella
turcica of sphenoid bone
 attached to undersurface of
brain by connecting stalk
(infundibulum)

Because the hormones

produced by the pituitary
gland influence the activities
of many other endocrine
glands, it is referred as the
master endocrine gland.
 MEASUREMENT
PRESENTING PARTS
Breadth (Transverse): 12mm
Anterior lobe (adenohypophysis)- 75%
Length (Antero-posterior): 8mm
Posterior lobe (neurohypophysis)- 25%
Weight: 500 mg
 ANTERIOR LOBE
 highly cellular and presents intra-glandular cleft
 subdivision
 pars anterior (pars distalis): part of gland infront of cleft

 pars intermedia: part of gland behind cleft

 pars tuberalis: parts extending upward along infundibular stem

 POSTERIOR LOBE
 Continuous above with infundibulum
 Consist of 3 parts
 median eminence

 infundibulum

 pars nervosa
 BLOOD SUPPLY
ARTERIAL SUPPLY
 superior & inferior
hypophyseal arteries

VENOUS DRAINAGE
 drains into the
intercavernous sinuses
Hypothalamo- hypophyseal portal
system
 delivers neurosecretory hormones
produced by hypothalamus to
anterior pituitary where they act to
produce different pituitary hormones
 Secretion in the venous blood are
drained into the intercavernous
sinuses from where it passes to main
circulation to reach the target site
 hypothalamo- hypophyseal tract

 Consist of bundle of axon derived from

supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei
of hypothalamus
 Hormones are synthesized in the nuclei
and carried along the axon upto
posterior lobe where they are stored .
 Posterior lobe does not synthesize
hormones
HISTOLOGY
 Clinical
Gigantism: Excessive of growth hormone before puberty
causes person to be very tall

Dwarfism: person is abnormally short (opposite of giantism)

Acromegaly: Excessive of growth hormone after puberty causes

excessive growth of jaw, hand, feet
 THYROID GLAND

LOCATION & DESCRIPTION

 highly vascular ductless gland
 consists of right and left lobes
connected by a narrow isthmus
 surrounded by a sheath with
which it is attached to larynx
and trachea
 Extent – 5th cervical to 1st
thoracic vertebrae
 Weight: 25 gm
Coverings of thyroid
Inner true capsule – condensation
of connective tissue of thyroid
gland
Outer false capsule – splitting of
pretracheal fascia
Ligament of berry – thickening of
pretracheal fascia on medial
surface of thyroid gland which
connect thyroid gland to
trachea
venous plexus lies deep to true
capsule
Each lobe is pear shaped
 Apex- directed upward upto
thyroid cartilage
 Base - lies below at the level of 4th
or 5th tracheal ring
 Isthmus- extends across midline
in front of 2nd , 3rd , and 4th
tracheal rings
 Third lobe (pyramidal lobe)

 often present,

 projects upward from isthmus

 BLOOD SUPPLY
ARTERIAL SUPPLY
 superior thyroid artery, inferior
thyroid artery, and sometimes
by thyroidea ima artery

VENOUS DRAINAGE
 superior thyroid, middle thyroid
and inferior thyroid veins
During thyroid surgery
to preserve external
laryngeal nerve superior
thyroid artery is ligated
near the gland and to
preserve recurrent
laryngeal nerve inferior
thyroid artery is ligated
away from gland.
 MICRO-ANATOMY

 2 types of cells are found

in thyroid gland
 Follicular (principal) cells
 synthesize thyroid

hormones (T3 and T4)

 Parafollicular cells
 secrete calcitonin

 found at the periphery

of follicle
FUNCTIONS OF THYROID GLAND
 Hyposecretion of thyroid hormone
Hypersecretion of thyroid hormone
Cretenism- in newborn & children
Exopthalmic goiter: protusion of eyeball
Myxoedema- in adults
 PARATHYROID GLANDS

LOCATION & DESCRIPTION

 small, yellowish-brown, ovoid bodies

 four in number

 two superior parathyroid glands

 two inferior parathyroid glands

 closely related to posterior border of

thyroid gland
 about 6 mm diameter

 Weight: 50 mg
 two superior parathyroid glands
 are more constant in position

 lie at the level of middle of

posterior border of thyroid

gland
 two inferior parathyroid glands
 usually lie close to the inferior

poles of thyroid gland

 BLOOD SUPPLY

ARTERIAL SUPPLY
 superior thyroid artery, inferior
thyroid artery

VENOUS DRAINAGE
 superior thyroid, middle thyroid
and inferior thyroid vein
 MICRO-ANATOMY
 parenchyma of parathyroid glands consists of two cell types
 Principal (chief) cells: secrete parathyroid hormone

 Oxyphil cell: are believed to be inactive phase of chief cells

FUNCTIONS OF PARATHYROID GLAND
 Hypoparathyroidism Hyperparathyroidism
causes tetany- twitching and spasm of causes repeated kidney stone and
hand repeated fracture of bone
 SUPRARENAL GLANDS

LOCATION & DESCRIPTION

 yellowish retroperitoneal
organs that lie on the upper
poles of kidneys
 surrounded by perinephric fat
and enclosed in renal fascia
 Right gland: pyramid shaped
 Left gland: crescentic shaped
SIZE
 Height: 50mm
 Breadth: 30mm
 Thickness: 10mm
Weight: 5 gms
 BLOOD SUPPLY

ARTERIAL SUPPLY
 Superior, Middle & Inferior
suprarenal artery

VENOUS DRAINAGE
 right and left suprarenal vein
 emerges from hilum of each
gland and drains into IVC on
right and into renal vein on
left
 MICRO-ANATOMY

 each gland has a yellow

cortex and dark brown
medulla
 Cortex can be divided
into three layers
Medulla
 Consist of chromafffin cells
 Chromaffin cells are also called as
pheochromocytes.
 These cells secrete – adrenaline
and noradrenaline
FUNCTIONS
 Cushing's Syndrome
Due to suprarenal cortical hyperplasia or
carcinoma

Addison's Disease
Due to adrenocortical insufficiency

Pheochromocytoma
Benign tumor of adrenal medulla
 PINEAL GLAND

LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION

 small cone-shaped body
 projects posteriorly from the
posterior end of roof of third
ventricle of brain
 consists groups of cells-
pinealocytes and glial cells
(supporting cells)
 contains concretions of
calcium phosphates and
carbonates (brain sand)
 Weight:120 mg
 FUNCTIONS OF PINEAL SECRETIONS

 exerts mainly inhibitory actions over the activities of pituitary gland, islets
of Langerhans of pancreas, parathyroids, adrenals, and gonads
 Secretion of pineal gland is melatonin which contributes to the setting of
body’s biological clock
 potent antioxidant- prevent ageing
 in animals with specific breeding seasons, it inhibits reproductive functions
outside the breeding season
 neutralizes the effects of adrenaline and other excitement hormones there
by calming us
 inhibits the growth and metastasis of some tumors
LYMPHOID ORGAN: THYMUS

 primary lymphoid organ

 asymmetrical bi-lobed structure
LOCATION
 lies in the inferior part of neck on fibrous
pericardium
AGE CHANGES OF THYMUS
 Weight at birth: 10- 15 gm
 Increase in weight upto puberty:20-30 gm
 After puberty gradually diminishes in size
 By adulthood, replaced by adipose tissue;
 however, it continues to produce T-
lymphocytes. Weight: 10 gm
 STRUCTURE OF THYMUS
 Covered by fibrous capsule
 Sends the incomplete septa (trabeculae) into the parenchyma which divides
it into incomplete lobules.
 Each lobule contains outer
darkly stained cortex and
inner lightly stained medulla
 Cortex contains densely
packed lymphocytes,
 Cortex contains immature T
cells whereas, medulla
contains mature T cells
 most characteristic feature of
the medulla is the presence
of Hassall’s corpuscles.
 FUNCTIONS
 Convert bone marrow stem
cells into mature T- cells
 Deliver mature T- cell to
circulation and peripheral
lymphoid organ
 produces thymosins and
thymopoietin, which are
hormones that stimulate the
development of antibodies
 PANCREAS

 Partly exocrine and party

endocrine
Location:
 lies transversely across posterior
abdominal wall
 at the level of L1- L2

Size and shape:

 j shaped ,12 to 15 cm long
Parts of the pancreas
Parts of the pancreas
Head of pancreas
 situated within the curve of duodenum

Neck of pancreas
 2cm, has two surfaces anterior and
posterior
Body of pancreas-
 triangular shaped having three
surfaces; anterosuperior, antero-
inferior and posterior
Tail of pancreas-
 narrowest and lateral portion,

 Length: 1.5 cm -3.5cm,

 lies in between the two layers of

renosplenic ligament
Islets of langerhans
consists 4 types of cells
Functions

 Produces digestive enzymes that break down all categories of food

 Produces alkaline fluid that neutralizes acidic chyme passed into the duodenum
 Endocrine products of pancreas
 Insulin

 Glucagons

 somatostatin
WHAT IS HYPOTHALAMUS?

 part of the brain that

contains a number of
small nuclei with a
variety of functions
 located in the middle of
the base of brain,
 separated from
thalamus by
hypothalamic sulcus
FUNCTION

 Links nervous system to the

endocrine system via the
pituitary gland
 synthesizes and secretes
neurohormones, called
hypothalamic-releasing or
inhibitory hormones,
 They inturn stimulate or

inhibit the secretion of

pituitary hormones.
ACTION

PITUITARY
GLAND
Hypothalamus
and Pituitary
Hypothalamus and
anterior pituitary

Hypothalamo- hypophyseal
portal system
Hypothalamus
and posterior
pituitary
hypothalamo-
hypophyseal tract
Hypothalamic releasing hormones
Hypothalamic releasing hormone Effect on pituitary

Corticotropin releasing hormone Stimulates ACTH secretion

(CRH)
Thyrotropin releasing hormone Stimulates TSH and prolactin
(TRH)
Growth hormone releasing Stimulates GH secretion
hormone (GHRH)
Somatostatin Inhibits GH (and other hormone)
secretion
Gonadotropin releasing hormone Stimulates LH and FSH secretion
(GnRH)
Prolactin releasing hormone (PRH) Stimulates PRL secretion

Prolactin inhibiting hormone (PIH) Inhibits PRL secretion

(dopamine)
Endocrine Control: Three Levels of
Integration
Hypothalamus-pituitary axis
Feedback control
Functions

 Regulation of body temperature

 Regulation of water balance
 Gastrointestinal and feeding regulation
 Cardiovascular regulation.
 Regulation of uterine contractility
 regulation of milk ejection from the breast.
 Control of anterior pituitary.
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