Basophil cell (original) (raw)

An anterior pituitary basophil is a type of cell in the anterior pituitary which manufactures hormones. It is called a basophil because it is basophilic (readily takes up bases), and typically stains a relatively deep blue or purple. 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.) *Produced only in pregnancy by the developing embryo. B-FLAT for Basophils: FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH