ANATOMY OF

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
DCM 2017
Major endocrine organs
• Hypothalamus
• Pituitary Gland
• Thyroid Gland
• Parathyroid Glands
• Thymus Gland
• Adrenal Glands
• Pancreas
• Ovaries
• Testes
• Pineal Gland
Endocrine system
• A system of ductless glands that secrete messenger molecules called
hormonesthat are secreted into the blood
• Interacts closely with the nervous system
• Hormones are substances that are secreted by one group of cells that
affects the physiology of another group of cells (organs). The
endocrine system is controlled by the pituitary gland and the
hypothalamus.
• Compared to most other organs in the body, endocrine organs are
well vascularized.
Endocrine glands
• Pure endocrine organs
• Pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid,
and adrenal glands

• Organs containing endocrine cells

• Pancreas, thymus, gonads, and the
hypothalamus
 Brief on the control of hormone release
• The endocrine system is controlled by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.
• Always controlled by feedback loops
• Concentration declines below a minimum: more hormone is secreted
• Concentration exceeds maximum: Hormone production is halted

• Humoral Trigger
• Something in the blood is being monitored. When the level of that substance is too low, it stimulates
the release of the hormone.
• Neuronal Trigger
• A neuron directly stimulates the gland to cause secretion of the hormone.
• Hormonal Trigger
• One endocrine gland releases a hormone that stimulates another endocrine gland to release its
hormone.
• This is how thyroid hormone is secreted. The hypothalamus releases a hormone that causes the
pituitary gland to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which causes the thyroid gland to
release thyroid hormone.
 Hypothalamus
• This is located at the base of the
brain. It is part of the limbic system,
which controls the autonomic
nervous system and the endocrine
systems. It lies below the thalamus
• The hypothalamus controls the
endocrine system by controlling the
pituitary gland.
• Secretes releasing hormones to cause
the pituitary to release hormones
• Secretes inhibiting hormones to turn
off secretion of pituitary hormones
 Hormones from hypothalamus
• The hypothalamus produces
hormones that affect the anterior
pituitary gland, for example:
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Releasing
Hormone (TSH-RH)
• Causes adenohypophysis to secrete
TSH
• TSH affects thyroid gland to secrete TH
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Inhibiting
Hormone (TSH-IH)
• Causes adenohypophysis to stop
secreting TSH so thyroid gland stops
secreting thyroid hormone
 Hormones from hypothalamus
• Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GH-RH)
• Prolactin Releasing Hormone (PRL-RH)
• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Releasing Hormone (ACTH-RH)
• Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Releasing Hormone (MSH-RH)
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone Releasing Hormone (FSH-RH)
• Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LH-RH)
• Growth Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (GH-IH)
• Prolactin Inhibiting Hormone (PRL-IH)
• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (ACTH-IH)
• Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (MSH-IH)
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (FSH-IH)
• Luteinizing Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (LH-IH)
 Pituitary
• Located in the hypophyseal fossa of
the sella turcica of the sphenoid
bone hence it is securely protected

• Connected to the hypothalamus by

the infundibular stalk

• Two divisions of the pituitary gland

• Adenohypophysis (anterior lobe)
• Neurohypophysis (posterior lobe)
Pituitary in the hypophyseal fossa
Hormones from the Adenohypophysis
• Growth hormone (GH)
• Causes the body to grow
• Prolactin (PRL)
• Stimulates lactation (milk production) in females
• Stimulates lacrimation (desire to cry)
• Decreased in adolescent males so it decreases desire to
cry
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
• Causes the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormone
 Hormones from adenohypophysis (continuation)
• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
• Acts on adrenal cortex to stimulate the release of cortisol
• Helps people cope with stress
• Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)
• Darkens skin pigmentation
• Increases during pregnancy
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
• Present in males and females, affects both
• Stimulates maturation of sex cells
• Luteinizing hormone (LH)
• Induces ovulation in females
• Induces testosterone in males
• FSH and LH are called gonadotropins because they act on the gonads.
• They regulate reproductive function.
 Neurohypophysis
• This is a continuation of the brain; cell
bodies of special neurons in the
hypothalamus have axons which go to the
neurohypophysis and synapse on
capillaries there. Instead of releasing
neurotransmitter, they release hormones.
• Oxytocin
• Childbirth contractions
• Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
• Signals kidneys to increase water
reabsorption
NB. The synthetic form of ADH is
vasopressin (a medicine). It is used to raise
low blood pressure.
 Thyroid gland
• Located in the anterior neck, inferior to thyroid
cartilage
• Largest pure endocrine gland
• Produces two hormones
• Thyroid hormone (TH)
• Calcitonin produces by parafollicular cells called C-cells
• It has two lobes, joined by isthmus

• Histologically, the thyroid is made up of the

functional units called the thyroid follicles. Each
follicle is lined by simple cuboidal epithelium. It is
these epithelial cells that produce thyroxine
hormone. Iodine is needed to produce this hormone
Thyroid gland
 Thyroid hormones
Thyroid hormone (TH) controls metabolic rate (energy production and body temperature), protein synthesis, growth, of every
cell in the body, heart and GIT function etc Increases GI motility

Increases mental activity

Increases endocrine activity
Promotes growth and brain development in the fetus and young children
Stimulates fat metabolism
Excites CNS

• Forms of the hormone

• Thyroxine – T4 : (Most abundant = 93%)
• T3: triiodothyronine (7%); 4x as potent and is the active form

• Calcitonin lowers calcium levels in plasma by inhibiting the activity of osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are bone
macrophages that breakdown bone

• Calcitonin also prevents the kidneys from reabsorbing calcium.

 Parathyroid gland
• Four glands imbedded on the
posterior surface of the thyroid gland

• The gland cells are within the capsule

of the thyroid gland
Parathyroid hormone
• Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
• Increases blood concentration of Ca2+
• There are three ways that the parathyroid hormone raises blood calcium levels
1) Stimulates osteoclasts to move bone calcium from the skeleton to the
bloodstream
2) Stimulates the kidneys to stop excreting calcium
3) Stimulates the intestines to absorb more calcium from diet
•Vitamin D is made in the dermis, requires 10 mins per day of sunlight to
be produced.
•Parathyroid hormone activates vitamin D which increases calcium
uptake by intestines
 Thymus
• Located in the thoracic cavity in the anterior
superior mediastinum, in front of the heart
but behind the sternum

• It is bigger in the young but involutes in

adults where it is replaced by adipocytes
• It is made up of two identical lobes
surrounded by the capsule

• Histologically, each lobe is divided into

lobules that have inner medulla and outer
cortex
• The thymus is also a primary lymphatic organ
 Hormones from the thymus

• Produces thymosins that are

responsible for the maturation of T-
lymphocytes
 Adrenal gland
• Located on the superior pole of the
kidneys in the abdominal cavity.
• It is divided into the inner medulla
(nervous tissue-sympathetic system) and
outer cortex, surrounded by the capsule
• At the centre of the medulla is a vein

• Histologically, cortex divided into zona

glomerulosa (outer zone), zona
fasciculata and zona reticularis (inner
zone)
 Hormones from adrenal glands
ADRENAL CORTEX – bulk of the adrenal gland
• Mineralocorticoid (Aldosterone) for salt and
water balance for blood pressure from zona
glomerulosa

• Precursor androgens (in females) and

estrogens (in males) (sex hormones) from zona
reticularis

• Glucocorticoids mainly cortisol (anti-stress and

anti-inflammation hormone) from zona
fasciculate

Adrenal medulla
• Produces catecholamines (epinephrine and
norepinephrine), the neurotransmitters for the
sympathetic system in fight or flight
 Pineal gland
• Small and round size of a pea, located
posterior to the third ventricle in the
epithalamus between the two
cerebral hemispheres of the brain

• Pinealocytes secrete melatonin

• A hormone that regulates circadian
rhythms (sense of daytime and night; it
regulates sleep cycle)
• “Pineal sand” is radiopaque
• Mineral deposits within pineal gland.
• Used as a landmark to identify other
brain structures in X-Rays
 Pancreas
• Located posterior and inferior to the
stomach in the curvature of the duodenum

• Divided into the head, uncinate process,

neck, body and tail

• Has the exocrine (majority) and the

endocrine cells (in the islets of
Langerhans). Endocrine parts are lightly
stained islands with heamatoxylin and
eosin stain (H&E) in the pancreas. Consist
of alpha and beta cells
 Hormones from the pancreas
• Insulin by beta-cells. Facilitates up
take of glucose by cells

• Glucagon by alpha cells. involved

glycogenosis to produce glucose
 Testes
• Located in the scrotum

• Oval in shape

• Histologically, divided into

lobules. Each lobule has
seminiferous tubules. The tissue
between the seminiferous
tubules has Leydig cells that
produce testosterone hormone
necessary for spermatogenesis
Ovaries
• Oval in shape, located in the posterior abdominal cavity at the end of
the fallopian tubes
• Divided into the cortex and medulla.

• The cells of the cortex (theca cells) surrounding developing follicles

produce estrogen.

• After ovulation, the follicular cells of the corpus luteum produce

progesterone
 Secondary Follicle-
Microscopic structure
Yellow- Theca and cells
Black-Oocyte
Blue-Zona pellucida
Orange-Corona radiata
Green-Antrum
Pink-granulosa cells