Exam I Flashcards
(381 cards)
Histology: The pituitary gland sits below the brain in the midline fossa (pocket) of the sphenoid bone. This pocket is known as the _______.
sella turcica
Histology: _____ is located anteriorly (rostrally) to the pituitary gland, while the _____ are located inferior to the pituitary. THe relationship between the pituitary and these structures is important as pituitary tumors can impact the visual field
Anterior: Optic chiasm
Inferior: Optic tracts
Histology: The cavernous sinus is a reticulated structure that located adjacent to the pituitary gland. It contains multiple vessels and nerves. What structures are found in the medial wall of the cavernous sinus?
Internal carotid and Abducens Nerve (VI)
Histology: The cavernous sinus is a reticulated structure that located adjacent to the pituitary gland. It contains multiple vessels and nerves. What structures are found in the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus?
- Oculomotor nerve (CN 3)
- Trochlear nerve (CN 4)
- Trigeminal (CN 5)
- -ophalmic branch
- maxillary branch
NOTE: pituitary adenomas can also impact the cavernous sinus
Histology: The lobes of the pituitary gland derive from 2 different embryologic origins.
- The posterior lobe forms from neural ectoderm from the floor of the diencephalon. The neural ectoderm evaginates ventrally from the diencephalon forming the _____
- The anterior pituitary forms from oral ectoderm in the roof of the mouth. An outpocket forms and grows upward from the roof of the mouth toward the descending neural ectoderm. This outpocket is known as
- Infundibulum = infundibular stalk and posterior lobe (stalk that connects pituitary to hypothalamus)
- Rathke’s pouch
- –loses connection to oral cavity (11th week)
- –cells in Rathke inc. to form ant. lobe
- –**persistence = Craniopharyngioma
Histology: Rathke’s pouch is formed from oral ectoderm that grows downward from the roof of the ____1____ (primitive oral cavity) . Continued growth dorsally toward the infundibular stalk ultimately leads to the formation of ___2____
- Stomodeum
2. Anterior pituitary –glandular tissue
Histology: ______ is a common tumor in kids/adolescents that arises from embryonic remnants of Rathke’s pouch.
Craniopharyngioma
Histology: The pituitary is a compound gland composed of both neural secretory tissue (posterior; neurohypophysis) and glandular tissue (anterior; adenohypophysis).
**See images Anki
Histology: Arterial blood supply to the pituitary gland comes primarily from the superior hypophyseal artery and the inferior hypophyseal artery. The superior hypophyseal artery arises from the internal carotid artery and the posterior communicating artery (circle of Willis). What structures does it supply?
Pars tuberalis, Median eminence and infundibulum
NOTE: NO direct arterial supply to the anterior lobe of the pituitary
Histology: What are the components of the pituitary gland?
Pars nervosa
Pars distalis
Pars intermedia
Pars tuberalis
Histology: Arterial blood supply to the pituitary gland comes primarily from the superior hypophyseal artery and the inferior hypophyseal artery. The inferior hypophyseal artery arises from the internal carotid artery. It supplies what structure?
Pars nervosa
**no direct arterial supply to anterior lobe of pituitary
Histology: The _______ of the anterior pituitary forms the primary capillary plexus. This plexus arises from the superior hypophyseal artery in the median eminence and upper infundibulum. It plays a role in picking up secretions from hypothalamic neurons that are destined to regulate cells of the anterior pituitary.
hypothalamohypophyseal portal system
*blood from primary capillary plexus – hypothalmohypohyseal portal veins — pars tuberalis
Histology: Blood travels from the primary capillary plexus to the hypothalamohypophyseal portal veins, through the pars tuberalis to a secondary capillary plexus. This secondary capillary plexus is located in the pars ______ and is composed of fenestrated sinusoids.
pars distalis (anterior pituitary)
*doesn’t require transit through systemic circulation
Histology: Blood exits the hypophyseal system via hypophyseal veins that drain into the _______ and subseuqently into the systemic circulation to target organs.
Cavernous sinus
Note: evidence for portal system: portal veins from pars distalis, travel to pars nervosa and onto hypothalamus (direct feedback to brain)
Histology: The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland is anatomically connected to the hypothalamus. Neural connections between the posterior pituitary and the hypothalamus occurs via the
hypothalamohypophyseal tract
Histology: Histology: True/False - The anterior pituitary is functionally, but not anatomically connected to the hypothalamus.
True
Histology: The Pars nervosa (posterior pituitary) is NOT an endocrine gland. It acts as the storage site or neurosecretory products formed by neurons of the hypothalamus.
True/False - Axons do NOT terminate on other neurons/cells, but end as Herring bodies located close to fenestrated capillary networks
True
NOTE: Herring bodies are the swollen ends of axon terminals (within the posterior lobe)
______ are swollen endings of axon terminals and are the distinguishing feature of theposterior pituitary. Their cell bodies reside in the hypothalamus. They appear sandy/granular.
Herring bodies
Histology: Herring bodies contain _____ and _____. Secretion of these hormones is induced by neural impulse.
Oxytocin and ADH
*cell bodies in supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei
- ADH
- -prepro-pressophysin to propressophysin - Oxytocin
- -
Histology: ____ are astrocyte-like supporting cells found in the posterior pituitary
Pituicytes
Histology: ADH functions to inc. water retention by decreasing urine volume and decreasing the rate of sweating.
What are stimui for ADH? What is its MOA?
- Decrease urine volume
–stimulus: inc. blood tonicity
–inc. permeability of CD to water (inserts aquaporins into DCT and CD)
(concentrate urine) – reabsorb water - Decrease sweating
- -stimulus: dehydration
NOTE: defect = diabedes insipidus
Histology: Oxytocin promotes contraction of uterine SM and its synthetic analog promotes the contraction of myoepithelial cells of lactating mammary alveoli.
True/False - Secretion is triggered by neural stimuli that reaches the hypothalamus.
True
Histology: The components of the anterior pituitary gland are the pars distalis, pars intermedia and the pars tuberalis.
The pars distalis (main part of anterior pituitary) lacks direct blood supply, while the pars ________, separates the pars distalis and nervosa. Finally, the pars ______ connects the posterior pituitary to the hypothalamus.
- pars distalis
- pars intermedia
- pars tuberalis
Histology: The cells of the anterior pituitary are surrounded by the secondary plexus of the hypothalamohypophyseal portal system.
True/False - Hormones from the hypothalamus travel from the primary plexus via the portal system to the secondary plexus, enabling them to reach their target cells bypassing the systemic circulation.
True