3. Adrenal Glands
• also known as suprarenal
glands
• Small, triangular-shaped
glands
• Located on top of both
kidneys.
• produce hormones that
help regulate your
metabolism,
• immune system, blood
pressure, response to
stress and other essential
functions..
4. Anatomy of the Adrenal Glands
An adrenal gland is made of two main parts:
The Adrenal Cortex is the outer region and also the
largest part of an adrenal gland.
It is divided into three separate zones:
Zona glomerulosa
Zona fasciculata
Zona reticularis
Each zone is responsible for producing specific
hormones.
5. The Adrenal Medulla is located inside the
adrenal cortex in the center of an adrenal
gland. It produces “stress hormones,”
including adrenaline.
The Adrenal Cortex and Adrenal Medulla are
enveloped in an adipose capsule that forms a
protective layer around an adrenal gland.
6. What do your adrenal glands do?
Each adrenal gland contains an outer Adrenal
cortex. It’s responsible for producing certain
steroid hormones, including aldosterone and
cortisol.
Each gland also contains an inner Adrenal
medulla, which produces several other
hormones, including adrenaline and
noradrenaline.
7. The adrenal cortex produces three
hormones:
Mineralocorticoids:Most important of which is aldosterone.
This hormone helps to maintain the body’s salt and water levels
which, in turn, regulates blood pressure. Without aldosterone, the
kidney loses excessive amounts of salt (sodium) and, consequently,
water, leading to severe dehydration an
d low blood pressure.
Glucocorticoids: Predominantly cortisol. This hormone is
involved in the response to illness and also helps to regulate body
metabolism. Cortisol stimulates glucose production helping the body
to free up the necessary ingredients from storage (fat and muscle) to
make glucose. Cortisol also has significant anti-inflammatory effects.
8. Adrenal androgens: Male sex hormones
mainly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and
testosterone. All have weak effects, but play a role in
early development of the male sex organs in childhood,
and female body hair during puberty.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH),
secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, primarily affects
release of glucocorticoids and adrenal androgens by
the adrenal gland and, to a much lesser extent, also
stimulates aldosterone release
9. Adrenal Medulla produces harmones
are
Epinephrine: Most people know epinephrine by its other
name—adrenaline. This hormone rapidly responds to stress by
increasing your heart rate and rushing blood to the muscles
and brain. It also spikes your blood sugar level by helping
convert glycogen to glucose in the liver. (Glycogen is the liver’s
storage form of glucose.)
Norepinephrine: Also known as noradrenaline, this
hormone works with epinephrine in responding to stress.
However, it can cause vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood
vessels). This results in high blood pressure.
10. Which disorders affect your adrenal
glands?
Adrenal gland disorders can develop when:
Your pituitary gland fails to control your hormone
production properly
Benign, or noncancerous, tumors grow in your adrenal
glands
Malignant, or cancerous, tumors grow in your adrenal
glands
Infections develop in your adrenal glands
You inherit certain genetic mutations
11. Disorders and Diseases of the Adrenal
Glands
Addison’s disease: This rare disorder may affect anyone
at any age. It develops when the adrenal cortex fails to
produce enough cortisol and aldosterone. To learn more, read
our article about Addison's Disease.
Adrenal cancer: Adrenal cancer is an aggressive cancer,
but it’s very rare. Malignant adrenal tumors are rarely confined
to the adrenal glands—they tend to spread to other organs and
cause adverse changes within the body because of the excess
hormones they produce. To learn more, read our article
about adrenal cancer.
12. Cushing’s syndrome: Cushing’s syndrome is an
uncommon condition that is essentially the opposite of
Addison’s disease. It is caused by overproduction of the
hormone cortisol. There are a variety of causes of this
disorder—a tumor in the adrenal gland or pituitary gland
could be to blame. To learn more, read our article
about Cushing's syndrome.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: This genetic
disorder is characterized by low levels of cortisol. It’s
common for people with congenital adrenal hyperplasia to
have additional hormone problems such as low levels of
aldosterone (which maintains a balance of water and salt).
13. What are the symptoms of adrenal
gland disorders?
Symptoms of adrenal gland disorders may include:
Dizziness
Excessive fatigue
Sweating
Nausea
Vomiting
Increased salt cravings
Low blood sugar
Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension
Irregular periods
Dark patches on your skin
Muscle and joint pain
Weight gain or loss
