Dwarfism

Gigantism
Acromegaly

Endemic Goiter

Cushing syndrome

Endocrine system
Includes the group of organs, parts of some
organs and single cells that produce hormones
into the blood or lymph.
Hormones act to the target organs or target
cells.
Hormones have properties of tropism (like a
key of a lock)
Target cell has specific receptors for the
hormone

Endocrine System Functions

Metabolism and tissue maturation

Ion regulation
Water balance
Immune system regulation
Heart rate and blood pressure regulation
Control of blood glucose and other nutrients
Control of reproductive functions
Uterine contractions and milk release
Coordinate the function of the organs, system of
organs of the human body

General characteristic
Secretory cell is called endocrinocyte
The arrangement of cells can be into cord or
into follicle
Endocrine organs have a great blood supply
(a networks of blood capillaries are
surrounded cords or follicles of cells)
Type of capillaries: fenestrated sinusoid

Endocrine system
Central regulatory formations

Hypothalamus
Hypophysis

Solitary endocrine cells

Peripheral endocrine glands

Dependent of
adenohypophysi
s

Neural origin

Independent of
adenohypophysis

(System APUD)
Other origin

Parathyroid glands

Thyroid gland

Epiphysis
Gonads
Cortex of adrenal gland
(zona fasciculata,
reticularis)

Dependent of adenohypophysis

Organs that have mixed

function

Indepondent of adenohypophysis

Gonads

Islets of Langerhans

Kidney

Placenta

Myocardium

Thymus

Merkels corpuscules

Endocrine Glands

Hypothalamus
Neurons of the grey matter of hypothalamus
are formed 32 pairs of nuclei
These nuclei are situated in 3 zones:
anterior, medium and posterior
According to the sizes of neurons and their
functions these nuclei can be divided into:
large-celled and small-celled

Large-celled nuclei
Supraoptic & paraventricular
These nuclei produce 2 hormones:
vasopressin & oxytocin

Small-celled nuclei
Produce the proteins that promote or inhibit the
secretion and excretion of adenohypophyseal
hormones. For example: growth-hormonereleasing factor, growth-hormone-inhibiting
factor,
thyrotropin-releasing
factor,
gonadotropin-releasing factor & other

Axon terminals are called Herring bodies

Antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin)

acts on the tubules of nephron in the kidney and provides the
reabsorption of the 99% of water from the primary urine;
increases blood pressure by promoting the contraction of smooth
muscles in small arteries and arterioles
Lack of ADH secretion is a cause of diabetes insipidus

Oxytocin
causes the contraction of uterine smooth muscle during copulation
and delivery;
causes the contraction of the myoepithelial cells of the secretory
alveoli and alveolar ducts of the breast at time of the breastfeeding;
causes the contraction of the myoepithelial cells of the seminiferous
tubules of testis at time of orgasm and ejaculation.

Hypophysis (pituitary gland)

Has 2 functional components:
- Adenohypophysis (anterior pituitary) that has
epithelial origin & consists of epithelial
secretory cells (endocrinocytes). It is divided
into 3 parts: pars distalis, pars intermedia &
pars tuberalis
- Neurohypophysis (posterior pituitary) that
has neural origin & consists of neuroglial cells
(pituicytes)

Hypophysis

Pars
intermedia

Cells of adenohypophysis
Types:

Chromophils (stain
well)
Acidophils (stain with
acid dyes into pink color)
Basophils (stain with
basic dyes into blue color)

Chromophobs (stain
poorly)

Chromophils
Acidophils
somatotrophs somatotropin (growth hormone, GH)
lactotrophs - prolactin (mammotropin)

Basophils
thyrotrophs

- thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

gonadotrophs - follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

- luteinizing hormone (LH)
adrenocorticotrophs adrenocorticotropic hormone
(ACTH)

Chromophobes
cambial reserve
chromophils at rest
old cells
supporting cells

Name of the
hormone

Action in the human body

Somatotropin (growth
hormone, GH)

Provides the growth of all tissues practically. The

insufficiency of this hormone reduce growth (dwarf).
At surplus of this hormone: giantism, acromegaly)

Prolactin (mammotropin)

Stimulates the growth of the mammary glands and

secretion of the milk

Thyroid stimulating
hormone (TSH)

Stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete thyroxine

(tetraiodthyronine, T4) and triiodthyronine (T3)

Adrenocorticotropic
hormone (ACTH)

Stimulates the cortex of the adrenal gland to produce

glucocorticoids and gonadocorticoids

provides the ovulation

provides the secretion of the female sex hormones in
ovaries and testosterone in testis
Follicle-stimulating hormone stimulates the growth of the follicles in ovaries
stimulates the spermatogenesis
(FSH)
Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Hormones releasing of part

intermedia
Consists of cords of cells that resemble
basophils, except they are smaller &
chromophobes. They sometimes form vesicles
pseudofollicles
Cells produce: melanocyte-stimulating
hormone (MSH) that stimulates pigmentation
within the melanocytes of the skin &
lipotropin that increases the lipid metabolism

Relationship of Pituitary and the

Brain

A link exists between the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary

called the Hypothalomohyothysial portal system

Pineal gland
Pineal gland contains 2 types
of cells:
- pinealocytes, that are
arranged into cords and
produce some hormones
- interstitial (glial) cells that
make supporting function
It is sensitive to different levels of
light and is essential to the
functioning of an animal's biological
clock.

Functions of the pineal body

Takes part in the regulation of cyclic or rhythmic processes
(for example ovarian-menstrual cycle); in the circadian and
seasonal biorhythms
It produces several hormones:
- Melatonin (in periods of darkness) that inhibits secretion of
the gonadotropin-releasing factors (GnRF) by
hypothalamus & FSH and LH by hypophysis. Tumors that
destroy the pineal gland are associated with precocious
puberty. It enhances sleep.
- Antigonadotropin that reduces secretion of LH.
- Arginine vasotocin
- Adrenoglomerulotropin that stimulates zona glomerulosa
of the adrenal cortex

Bye-bye!!!