Marc Herlant

The Cells of the Adenohypophysis and Their Functional Significance

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the chromophile cells of the adenohypophysis that are divided into two broad classes: those whose granules contain glycoproteins and those whose granules behave like simple proteins. These two classes of cells are themselves heterogeneous and capable of being divided in turn into distinct categories. Functional criteria confirmed these subdivisions. First of all it is shown that the glycoproteinaceous cells could be divided into thyrotropic and gonadotropic cells, and that these latter could in turn be divided into folliclestimulating hormone (FSH) -producing cells and luteinizing hormone (LH) - producing cells. The subdivision of cells containing proteinaceous granules seems at first to be made in a more arbitrary fashion as these cells do not benefit from histochemical procedures to the same degree as the mucoproteinaceous cells, and only complex staining procedures permit any conclusions as to their diversity. The chapter reviews the morphology of each of the cellular forms characterizing the adenohypophysis and the histophysiological arguments permitting the attribution to them of a definite functional significance.