Overview of the adrenal glands

[Dave Paprocki]

The body has two adrenal glands, one near the top of each kidney. They are endocrine glands, which secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Each adrenal gland has two parts.

Medulla: The inner part secretes hormones, such as adrenaline ( epinephrine ), that help control blood pressure, heart rate, sweating, and other activities also regulated by the sympathetic nervous system.
Cortex: The outer part secretes different hormones, including corticosteroids (cortisone-like hormones, such as cortisol ) and mineralocorticoids (particularly aldosterone, which controls blood pressure and the levels of salt [sodium chloride] and potassium in the body). The adrenal cortex also stimulates the production of small amounts of male sex steroid hormones ( testosterone and similar hormones).

The adrenal glands are controlled in part by the brain. The hypothalamus, a small area of the brain involved in hormonal regulation, produces corticotropin -releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin (also known as antidiuretic hormone). Vasopressin and CRH trigger the pituitary gland to secrete corticotropin (also known as adrenocorticotropic hormone or ACTH ), which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroids. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, regulated mostly by the kidneys, causes the adrenal glands to produce more or less aldosterone (see figure Regulating Blood Pressure).
The body controls the levels of corticosteroids according to need. The levels tend to be much higher in the early morning than later in the day. When the body is stressed, due to illness or otherwise, the levels of corticosteroids increase dramatically.