Adrenal glands

Question 1

Where are adrenal glands located, and what are they made up of ?

Answer 1

top of each kidney

• adrenal cortex - outer region, produces hormones that are vital to life, such as cortisol and aldosterone
• adrenal medulla - the inner region of the glands, produces non-essential hormones, such as adrenaline which helps the body react to stress

Question 2

How is the production of hormones by the adrenal cortex controlled by?

Answer 2

hormones released in the pituitary gland

Question 3

What are the three main types of hormones produced by the adrenal cortex?

Answer 3

1. glucocorticoids
2. mineralocortidoids
3. androgens

Question 4

What are glucocorticoids? give 2 types? WHAT is their function? What triggers their release?

Answer 4

• GLUCO - helps regulate metabolism by controlling how the bodyconverts fats, proteins and carbodydrates to energy
• e.g. cortisol
• can help regulate blood pressure and cardiovascular function in response to stress
• another glucocorticoid hormone released is corticosterone - works with cortisol to regulate immune response and suppress inflammatory reaction
  
  • the release of these hormones is controlled by the hypothalmus

Question 5

What are mineralocorticoids? What is their function and how are their released? Give an example

Answer 5

• the main one pordued is aldosterone which helps control blood pressure by maintaining the balance between salt and water concentrations in the blood and body fluids
• its release is mediated by signals triggered from the kidney

Question 6

What are androgens? What is their function?

Answer 6

• small amounts of male and female sex hormones are released
• their impact is relatively small compared with the larger amounts of hormones, such as oestrogen and testosterone, released by the ovaries or testes after puberty
• but they are still important, especially in women after menopause

Question 7

When are hormones from the adrenal medulla released?

Answer 7

when the sympathetic nervous system is strimulated

this occure when the body is stressed

Question 8

What is adrenaline?

Answer 8

• this increases the heart rate sending blood quickly to the muscles and brain
• it also rapidly raises blood glucose concentration levels by converting glycogen to glucose in the liver

Question 9

What is noradreanaline?

Answer 9

• this homones works with adrenaline in response to stress,
• producing effects such as increased heart rate, widening of pupils, widening of air passages in the lungs, and the narrowing of blood vessels in non-essential organs (resulting in higher blood pressure)