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