Click on images for full-size photographs
 |
 |
 |
 |
In the mouse, the pituitary gland (hypophysis) is attached to the ventral surface of the brain (see Diagram of Endocrine Organs in Head – In Situ) and is heavier in females than in males; its size also differs between strains. The pituitary gland has three well-defined regions: pars distalis (anterior lobe), pars intermedia (intermediate lobe), and pars nervosa (neural lobe or neurohypophysis). The pars nervosa contains the endings of neurosecretory neurons, capillaries, and pituicytes (modified astroglia).
The 4X micrograph is an overview of the pituitary gland and its surroundings. The 10X micrograph exhibits the three different lobes of the pituitary gland with the hypophyseal cleft separating pars intermedia and pars distalis. The 20X micrograph shows the cuboidal epithelial lining of the hypophyseal cleft. In the 40X micrograph the pituicytes and capillaries of the pars nervosa are visible.
© 2004 Texas Histopages. All rights reserved.