Anterior pituitary: Encyclopedia II - Anterior pituitary - Anatomy and development

Anterior pituitary - Anatomy and development

The adenohypophysis is a pea-size gland anterior to the neurohypophysis, caudal to the hypothalamus, and sits in the medial aspect of the brain. Its blood is supplied by the superior and inferior hypophyseal arteries, and it secretes hormones into the hypophyseal vein.

The anterior pituitary is derived from the ectoderm of the roof of the embryonic mouth. An outpocketing of this ectoderm forms Rathke's pouch, which pinches off from the oral ectoderm and fuses with the developing posterior pituitary. The anterior wall of Rathke's pouch becomes the pars distalis and pars tuberalis, while the posterior wall gives rise to the pars intermedia. Together, the pars distalis, tuberalis, and intermedia comprise the anterior pituitary.

Anterior pituitary - Histology

When stained by PAS, three main types of secretory cell can be seen: chromophobes (which don't take on any stain), basophils (which stain purple, and are not related to the blood cell), and acidophils (stain orange). About half of the cells are chromophobes, 40% are acidophils, and 10% are basophils.

Basophilic staining cells produce the hormones that specifically act on other endocrine organs, such as TSH, ACTH, FSH and LH. Acidophils produce growth hormone and prolactin. Chromophobes are presumed to be "empty" cells, having already released their granules of hormone.

Anterior pituitary - Physiology

Five different cell types are recognised by the hormone they produce:

• Basophils:
  • thyrotropes secrete thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
  • gonadotropes secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • corticotropes secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
• Acidophils:
  • lactotropes secrete prolactin
  • somatotropes secrete growth hormone.

Electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry allow further identification of the hormone produced by the cells.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Anatomy and development", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki