ADRENAL GLAND

• THE ADRENAL OR SUPRARENAL GLANDS ARE PAIRED ENDOCRINE GLAND SITUATED OVER THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF UPPER POLES OF EACH KIDNEY.
• THE ADRENAL GLANDS CONSIST OF OUTER CONNECTIVE TISSUE CAPSULE,A CORTEX AND A MEDULLA.
• THE OUTER CORTEX AND THE INNER MEDULLA ARE THE FUNCTIONAL PORTIONS OF THE GLANDS . THEY ARE TWO SEPARATED ENDOCRINE GLANDS, WITH DIFFERENT EMBRYOLOGICAL ORIGINS: 
• CORTEX: DERIVED FROM THE EMBRYONIC MESODERM.
• MEDULLA: DERIVED FROM THE ECTODERMAL NURAL CREST CELL. 
• CORTEX :IT IS YELLOWISH IN COLOUR . IT SECRETES TWO CHOLESTEROL DERIVED HORMONES:CORTICOSTEROIDS AND ANDROGENS .
• FUNCTIONALLY THE CORTEX CAN BE DEVIDED INTO THREE REGIONS ( SUPERFICIAL TO DEEP):
• ZONA GLOMERULOSA:PRODUCES AND SECRETES MINERALOCORTICOIDS SUCH AS ALDOSTERONE.
• ZONA FASCICULATA:PRODUCES AND SECRETES CORTICOSTEROIDS SUCH AS CORTISOL. IT ALSO SECRETES A SMALL AMOUNT OF ANDROGENS. 
• ZONA RETICULARIS:PRODUCES AND SECRETES ANDROGENS ( DEHYDRO EPI ANDROSTERONE (DHES)) AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF CORTICOSTEROIDS. 

ADRENAL GLAND LOCATION                      

    

• MEDULLA: