Adrenal Gland Flashcards
Which division of the nervous system is the adrenal gland part of?
The autonomic nervous system.
Is the signal to the adrenal gland to release noradrenaline and adrenaline sympathetic or parasympathetic?
Sympathetic
What cells of the adrenal medulla produce, store and secrete catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline?
Chromaffin cells.
List the three layers of the adrenal cortex.
Zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata and zona reticularis.
What layer of the adrenal cortex secretes the mineralocorticoid aldosterone?
Zona glomerulosa
Which layer of the adrenal cortex secrete the glucocorticoid cortisol?
Zona fasciculata
Which layer of the renal cortex secretes sex steroids (particularly androgens)?
Zona reticularis
What is the function of androstenedione and dehydroeplandrosterone (DHEA)?
Foetal sex determination and development of sex organs.
What is Conn syndrome?
Excessive aldosterone secretion causing increase sodium and water retention, loss of potassium and hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias.
Describe the secretion patterns of cortisol.
Pulsatile and circadian- greatest in the morning before waking.
The secretion of what hormones in a pulsatile manner causes pulsatile secretion of cortisol?
CRH and ACTH.
Cortisol circulates in plasma bound to?
Corticoid-steroid binding globulin.
What is the effect of cortisol on muscle?
Decreased protein synthesis and glucose uptake- muscle are made to use own stored energy, increased protein degradation.
What is the effect of cortisol on the lover?
Increased gluconeogenesis and blood glucose levels.
What are the effects of cortisol on adipose tissue?
Increased lipolysis.
What is released during short-term stress?
Adrenaline and noradrenaline
Which of cortisol and adrenaline is more fast-acting and why?
Adrenaline, as its secretions is sympathetically innervated. The release of cortisol is hormonal.
Is aldosterone released during chronic, prolonged or short-term stress?
Prolonged.
How can prolonged stress cause hypertension?
Increase sodium and water retention, leading to increased blood volume.
Which molecules causes immune suppression?
Cortisol (glucocorticoid).
State the pathway leading to cortisol secretion.
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is released by the hypothalamus and acts of the anterior pituitary to release ACTH. ACTH acts on the adrenal cortex to release glucocorticoids.
What is Cushing’s syndrome?
Adrenal hyper-function, causing excessive cortisol secretion.
What is primary Cushing’s syndrome?
Failure of the adrenal gland; low ACTH but high cortisol.
What are the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome?
Weight gain, fat deposition on trunk and face, insulin resistance, protein wasting, calcium disorders, increased MSH skin pigmentation.
What is Addison’s disease?
Adrenal hypofunction; reduced cortisol.
What are the symptoms of Addison’s disease?
weakness, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss.
