Development, Gross Anatomy and Functional Histology of the Suprarenal Gland Flashcards
Where are the suprarenal glands located?
In the superior pole of the kidneys, there are two glands: one left and one right.
They lie between the superomedial aspect of the kidney and the diaphragm
What are the fascial relations of the kidney?
Fibrous capsule
Perirenal fat
Renal fascia
Pararenal fat
What separates the suprarenal gland from the kidney?
The perirenal fat
What is the shape of the right suprarenal galnd?
Pyramidal in shape
What is the shape of the left suprarenal gland?
Crescentic in shape
What are the relations of the right suprarenal gland?
Anterior: Liver and IVC
Posteriorly: Right crus of the diaphragm
What are the relations of the left suprarenal gland?
Anterior: Stomach, pancreas and spleen
Posterior: Left crus of the diaphragm
What are the the cruses of the diaphragm?
Part of the origin of the diaphgram
What is the cavity between the stomach and the adrenal gland?
The lesser sac
What are the parts of the suprarenal gland?
Medulla and the cortex
What are the layers of the cortex of the suprarenal gland?
Zona glomerulosa
Zona fasciculata
Zona reticularis
What are the embryological origins of the medulla and the cortex?
Medulla: ectoderm (neural crest cells)
Cortex: mesoderm
What is the developmental process of the formation of the fetal cortex?
- Mesenchymal cells on each side of the embryo
- Located between the root of the dorsal mesentery and the urogenital ridge
- Formation of the fetal cortex from the aggregate of these mesenchymal cells
What is the fetal cortex?
The first stage of the process of the cortex development
What occurs with the formation of the fetal cortex?
Neural crest cells arrive
Where are neural crest cells derived from?
Neural tube
What kind of cells do neural crest cells give rise to?
Neurons
Glia
Melanocytes
What happens following the arrival of the neural crest cells?
The neural crest cells form a mass on the medial side of the fetal cortex; cells differentiate into secretory cells of the medulla
What are chromaffin cells?
They are cells that stain positive with the chromaffin stain
Where are medullary chromaffin cells derived from?
Neural crest cells
What happens after the differentiation of medullary chromaffin cells into the medulla?
- A 2nd wave of mesothelial cells penetrates the underlying mesenchyme
- Aggregate of cells surround the fetal cortex and form the definitive cortex
Where do the different zone develop from?
Zona glomerulosa: Definitive cortex
Zona fasciculata: Definitive cortex
Zone reticularis: fetal cortex regression
What is the different theory regarding the development of the layers of the cortex?
A second theory claims that all zones are derived from the definitive cortex and the fetal cortex is simply degraded
What are the cells of the adrenal cortex like?
Typical ultrastructure of steroid-secreting cells
They do not store their secretory products in granules
Why are there lipids in the cells of the adrenal cortex?
They are part of the synthesis of the steroid hormones
Why is SER so abundant in adrenal cortex cells?
It is involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones
What is the difference between RER and SER?
RER has ribosomes and is usually associated with peptide-hormone secretion
What kind of cells does zona glomerulosa consist of?
Rounded clusters of columnar/pyramidal cells