The adrenal gland The adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla are Biology Diagrams The adrenal gland is made up of the cortex and medulla. The cortex produces steroid hormones including glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and adrenal androgens, and the medulla produces the catecholamines, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. This brief article reviews the physiology of the adrenal gland and highlights the relevance of understanding the clinical syndromes of excess and deficiency. Blood first flows through the adrenal cortex and then drains into the adrenal medulla. Adrenal hormones are released into the circulation via the left and right suprarenal veins. Figure 17.6.1 - Adrenal Glands: Both adrenal glands sit atop the kidneys and are composed of an outer cortex and an inner medulla, all surrounded by a connective
Anatomy . As mentioned, the adrenal glands are two small, roughly triangular glands that sit directly on top of the kidneys. The two major parts of the adrenal gland are the cortex and the medulla. The gland is surrounded by an adipose (fatty) capsule, which acts as a protective barrier. The adrenal glands consist of the adrenal cortex and medulla, which have distinct, albeit interdependent functional properties. The adrenal cortex contains the zona glomerulosa that produces mineralocorticoids, the zona fasciculata that is the site of glucocorticoid biosynthesis, and the zona reticularis, which is responsible for the production of adrenal androgens. In this chapter, we discuss
Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Adrenal Glands (Suprarenal Glands) Biology Diagrams
Adrenal Medulla: The hormones secreted by the adrenal medulla are not essential for the survival. Conclusion. Adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla are two major cell layers of the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is located on the top of the kidney. Both adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla secrete hormones to regulate the functions of the body. Anatomical Structure. The adrenal glands consist of an outer connective tissue capsule, a cortex and a medulla.. Veins and lymphatics leave each gland via the hilum, but arteries and nerves enter the glands at numerous sites.. The outer cortex and inner medulla are the functional portions of the gland. Adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla is embedded in the centre of the cortex of each adrenal gland. It is small, making up only about 10 percent of the total adrenal weight. The adrenal medulla is composed of chromaffin cells that are named for the granules within the cells that darken after exposure to chromium salts.
These two major sections of the adrenal are called the adrenal medulla (inner layer), and the adrenal cortex (outer layer). The Adrenal Medulla: The adrenal medulla comes from the neural crest (i.e. embryological basis similar to your central and peripheral nervous systems). It contains homogenous sheets of cells organized into nests.
