Basophil cell

This article is about cells in the pituitary gland. For the class of blood cells, see Basophil granulocyte.

An anterior pituitary basophil is a type of cell in the anterior pituitary which manufactures hormones.

Basophil cell
Microanatomy of the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary, showing chromophobes, basophils, and acidophils
Details
Location	Anterior pituitary
Identifiers
TH	H3.08.02.2.00023
Anatomical terms of microanatomy [edit on Wikidata]

It is called a basophil because it is basophilic (readily takes up bases), and typically stains a relatively deep blue or purple.^[1]

These basophils are further classified by the hormones they produce. (It is usually not possible to distinguish between these cell types using standard staining techniques.)

Cell name	Relative proportion	Hormone produced	Hypothalamic regulators
Corticotrophs	15%	ACTH	CRH
Gonadotrophs	10%	FSH, LH and hCG*	GnRH
Thyrotrophs	5%	TSH	TRH

*Produced only in pregnancy by the developing embryo.

See also

• Chromophobe cell

• Melanotroph

• Chromophil

• Acidophil cell

• Oxyphil cell
• Oxyphil cell (parathyroid)
• Pituitary gland
• Neuroendocrine cell
• Basophilic