| Acidophil cell | |
|---|---|
 Microanatomy of the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary, showing chromophobes, basophils, and acidophils | |
| Identifiers | |
| TH | H3.08.02.2.00020 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
In the anterior pituitary, the term "acidophil" is used to describe two different types of cells which stain well with acidic dyes.
- somatotrophs, which secrete growth hormone (a peptide hormone)
- lactotrophs, which secrete prolactin (a peptide hormone)
When using standard staining techniques, they cannot be distinguished from each other (though they can be distinguished from basophils and chromophobes),[1] and are therefore identified simply as "acidophils".