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Updated: Jun 30, 2026
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Dissection and Coronal Slice Preparation of Developing Mouse Pituitary Gland
Published on: November 16, 2017
Embryonic morphogenesis of the human pituitary
G S Solov'ev1, A V Bogdanov, S M Panteleev
1Department of Embryology, Tyumen State Medical Academy, Tyumen, Russia. soloviev@tgma.ru
Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology
|September 20, 2008
Summary
Human embryonic pituitary development was studied using light microscopy. Rathke's pouch forms early, and its differentiation leads to the anterior pituitary's distinct regions by Carnegie stage 23.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Embryology
- Human Anatomy
Background:
- The pituitary gland is crucial for endocrine regulation.
- Understanding human pituitary organogenesis provides insights into developmental processes and potential congenital abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the key stages of human pituitary gland development.
- To detail the morphological changes of Rathke's pouch and its derivatives during early human embryogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Light microscopy was employed to examine human embryos.
- Observations focused on embryos at Carnegie stages (CS) 12-23.
Main Results:
- Rathke's pouch forms at CS 12 as a traction fold from the stomodeum roof.
- The hypothalamic infundibulum and neurohypophysis rudiment appear at CS 15.
- By CS 20-23, Rathke's pouch differentiates into the anterior pituitary lobes (pars distalis, intermedia, tuberalis) and forms epithelial cords.
Conclusions:
- The study outlines the sequential morphological events in human pituitary organogenesis.
- Rathke's pouch is the primary structure giving rise to the adenohypophysis.
- The spatial and temporal development of the pituitary is closely linked to adjacent neural structures.
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