Endocrine Lab Study Guide
BIOL 2112 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II

Page contents

• Exercise 27 - Functional Anatomy of the Endocrine Glands - Review Sheet questions
• myA&P web site instructions
• Brain model
• Torso model
• Endocrine slides
• Cat dissection

myA&P web site instructions

1. http://www.myAandP.com
2. Click on
3. Click on text book cover picture
4. Enter your Login Name and Password.
5. On the dropdown menu near the top of the page
   select Chapter 16: The Endocrine System
   then click the go button
6. In the left column click  PAL 2.0  (“PAL” = Practice Anatomy Lab)
7. Click on Practice Anatomy Lab™ 2.0 at the top of the page.
8. On the practice anatomy lab™ page in the Human Cadaver sliding pane click on Endocrine System.
   This page uses Adobe Flash Player.
9. In the Endocrine System - Lab Practical review the images. Images from the Lab Practical will be on the lab practical test for this class.

Brain model

• pituitary, pons, medulla oblongata, cerebellum, olfactory tracts
  • 46. pituitary
    This is the red button shape in the center of the model.
  • D. pons
    This appears between the pituitary and the medulla oblongata in the picture.
  • E. medulla oblongata
    The medulla oblongata extends from the spinal cord,
  • In the picture the cerebellum is the brownish striated structures that appear above and below the medulla oblongata.
    In life it is below the parietal lobes of the cerebrum.
  • 28. olfactory tracts and olfactory bulbs
    These appear white in the model.
• closer view of the pituitary, pons, olfactory tracts
• pituitary, hypothalamus, thalamus, corpus callosum, cerebellum
  • pituitary
    This is the red button shape in the bottom of the picture.
  • 37. hypothalamus
    The hypothalamus lies between the pituitary and the thalamus.
  • 45. thalamus
  • 1. corpus callosum
    This appears as a lighter-colored “C”-shape above the thalamus.
    The corpus callosum is the major commissure connecting the cerebral hemispheres.
  • 7. cerebellum
    This is the brown structure at the left in the picture with the white branching lines
• pituitary, hypothalamus, thalamus, corpus callosum, cerebellum
• pituitary, hypothalamus, thalamus, corpus callosum, cerebellum

Torso model

• thyroid
  • 1. laryngeal prominence (Adam’s apple)
  • 2. thyroid cartilage
  • 3. thyroid
    • The thyroid is located on the anterior trachea.
    • It is a bilobed gland connected by an isthmus.
  • 4. cricoid cartilages
  • 6. thyrohyoid membrane
  • 8. arytenoid muscle
  • 9. tracheal cartilages
• pancreas, both adrenals, spleen on far right
• pancreas, right kidney cross section, both adrenals, spleen on far right
• pancreas, right kidney cross section, both adrenals, spleen on far right
  • 23. pancreas
  • 24. spleen
  • 35. right adrenal
  • 36. left kidney

Endocrine slides

• thyroid slide

  Be able to identify:

  • Follicles are the spherical pink-stained colloid material.
  • 2 stored thyroid hormones, T₃-triiodothyronine and T₄-thyroxine,
    are attached to the protein colloidal material and are released gradually to the blood.
  • T₃ and T₄ are stored in the follicles as thyroglobulin colloid.
  • The follicle walls are formed by simple cuboidal cells and squamous epithelial cells.
    These hormone-secreting cells synthesize the folliclar products.
  • Between the follicles are parafollicular, or C, cells that produce calcitonin.
• parathyroid slide
  The large dark area is the parathyroid gland.

  Notice the thyroid follicles around it.

  • The parathyroid glands are on the dorsal aspect of the thyroid gland.
    They are not visible in the torso model photographs.
  • They secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH) which causes the release of calcium from the bone matrix.
  • PTH is antagonistic to calcitonin.
  • There are 2 major cell types:
    1. chief cells synthesize PTH.
       They are small and abundant, and arranged in thick branching cords.
    2. oxyphil cells are scattered and much larger.
       Their function is unknown.
• pancreas slide with isles of Langerhans
  • The light areas filled with cells are the isles of Langerhans.
  • Know that within the isles of Langerhans there are:
    1. Alpha cells that secrete glucagon.
       Glucagon stimulates the liver to break down its glycogen stores to glucose and release it into the blood.
       Glucagon is antagonistic to insulin.
    2. Beta cells that secrete insulin.
       Insulin decreases blood glucose levels.
  • The pancreas functions both as an exocrine gland producing digestive hormones,
    and as an endocrine gland producing insulin and glucagon.
• adrenal slide
  • Note the characteristic layered appearance.
  • The adrenal glands are suprarenal (atop the kidneys).
  • They secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine.
• pituitary slide
  • The anterior pituitary is at the upper left.
  • The posterior pituitary is at the lower right.

Cat dissection

• Cat dissection