ANATOMY AND

PHYSIOLOGY OF
ADRENAL GLANDS

PRESENTED BY
EUNICE V. CUNADA
Introduction
Adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are
small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both
kidneys.

They are yellow to orange in colour and are positioned

retroperitoneally (behind the peritoneal membrane
lining the abdominal cavity). The right adrenal gland is
at, approximately, the level of the 12th rib, while the left
is located slightly higher between the 11th and 12th ribs.

Normally, in a healthy adult, the adrenal glands are

relatively small – they each weigh 4-6g, and are around
3cm wide, 5cm high and 1cm thick; changes in size are
often indicative of underlying pathology.
OVERVIEW
The major cells of the adrenal medulla
are called chromaffin cells because
they take up stains containing
chromium salts. Chromaffin cells
produce amino acid-derived hormones
Adrenal medulla
called catecholamines.

The two major catecholamines are

adrenaline (epinephrine) and
noradrenaline (norepinephrine). They
initiate the fight or flight response
which is the body’s natural reaction to
stressful situations.
The adrenal cortex lies immediately below
the protective collagenous adrenal capsule
and continually takes up cholesterol as the
substrate to generate a diverse range of
steroid hormones. Histologically, the cortex
consists of three distinct layers of tissue,
each producing its own class of steroid
Adrenal cortex
hormones:

·Zona glomerulosa (outer layer) –

synthesises mineralocorticoids that help
regulate electrolyte concentrations;
·Zona fasciculata (middle layer) – synthesises
glucocorticoids that primarily function as
long-term stress hormones;
·Zona reticularis (inner layer) – marks the
boundary between the cortex and the
medulla, producing a class of testosterone-
like hormones called androgens.
Mineralocorticoids
Mineralocorticoids
exert their major
effects on electrolyte
metabolism. They act
principally on the renal
tubular and GI
epithelium to cause
increased sodium
absorption in exchange
for excretion of
potassium or hydrogen
ions.
Glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids have an important influence on glucose metabolism.

Increased cortisol secretion results in elevated blood glucose levels.
In addition, glucocorticoids have major effects on the metabolism of
all organs of the bod, and it enables the body to withstand stress.

Adrenal glands produce hormones in response to signals from the

pituitary gland in the brain, which reacts to signaling from the
hypothalamus, also located in the brain. This is referred to as the
hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.
Androgens

The zona reticularis secretes small amounts of hormones called

androgens, which are structurally similar to the male sex hormone,
testosterone. Like testosterone, these hormones function as anabolic
steroids of varying potency and promote the development of male
physical characteristics such as increased muscle mass, growth of
body and facial hair, and deepening of the voice. In females,
androgens play key roles in the functioning of the musculoskeletal
system, heighten libido and form intermediates for the biosynthesis of
oestrogens
Thank
You