Glandula parathyroidea (histological slide)

The glandulae parathyroideae (parathyroid glands) are four small endocrine glands located behind the thyroid gland.

Histological description
On the parathyroid glands we recognize:
 * Fiber Case
 * forms the envelope of the corpuscles and sends a fibrous septa to the interior of the gland
 * Chief Cells
 * have a polygonal shape and vesicular cores
 * the specimen is stained pale
 * contain acidophilic cytoplasm that contains granules of irregular shape
 * secretory granules of principal cells contain parathormone
 * Oxyphilic cells
 * have a polygonal shape
 * compared to the main cells, they are larger
 * it turns dark on the specimen
 * there is an acidophilic granule in the cytoplasm
 * the function of these cells is unknown
 * Adipocytes
 * they replace secretory cells with age, in older people they can make up over 50% of the gland's volume

Related Articles

 * Parathyroid gland (SFLT)
 * Glandula thyroidea (SFLT)