Page 757 - Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations
P. 757
Pars intermedia is remnant of the pouch and rudimentary in humans
Pars tuberalis surrounds the neural stalk
Neurohypophysis (posterior pituitary) consists of three parts
Median eminence is located at the base of hypothalamus
Infundibulum is the neural stalk that connects neurohypophysis to
hypothalamus
Pars nervosa is the largest portion that consists of unmyelinated axons and
pituicytes
VASCULAR AND NEURAL
CONNECTIONS OF HYPOPHYSIS
Adenohypophysis
Connection between hypothalamus of brain and adenohypophysis is vascular
Superior hypophyseal arteries form fenestrated primary capillary plexus in
median eminence
Secretory neurons in hypothalamus terminate on capillary plexus and release
hormones
Hypophyseal venules connect to secondary capillary plexus in the
adenohypophysis, forming a hypothalamohypophyseal portal system
Hypothalamus produces both releasing hormones and inhibitory hormones
for cells in adenohypophysis
Releasing or inhibitory hormones are carried via the portal system to cells in
pars distalis
Releasing hormones bind to specific receptors in cells of pars distalis
Cells and Hormones of Adenohypophysis
Based on stains, there are three cell types: acidophils, basophils, and
chromophobes
Acidophils are subdivided into somatotrophs and mammotrophs
Basophils are subdivided into thyrotrophs, gonadotrophs, and corticotrophs
Somatotrophs
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