SFP: adrenal glands

Question 1

Describe the shape of the left adrenal gland

Answer 1

Crescent shaped and along the medial aspect of the kidney

Question 2

Describe the shape of the right adrenal gland

Answer 2

Pyramid shaped and only of the superior aspect of the kidney

Question 3

The right adrenal gland is posterior to…

Answer 3

The IVC

Question 4

Each adrenal gland receives blood from which arteries?

Answer 4

Superior adrenal from the phrenic, middle adrenal for the aorta, and inferior adrenal from the renal

Question 5

The left adrenal vein drains to…

Answer 5

The left renal vein

Question 6

The right adrenal vein drains to…

Answer 6

The IVC

Question 7

What does the cortex of the adrenal gland produce?

Answer 7

Mineral corticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgens

Question 8

What does the medulla of the adrenal gland produce?

Answer 8

Epi and norepi

Question 9

What germ cells does the cortex come from?

Answer 9

Mesoderm

Question 10

What germ cells does the medulla come from?

Answer 10

Neural crest

Question 11

What is true of fetal adrenal glands in terms of size?

Answer 11

They’re comparatively much bigger! They’re about the same size of the kidney

Question 12

Describe the basic structure of the fetal adrenal cortex

Answer 12

There’s an outer thin mantle layer that becomes the cortex as well as a central mass of transient cells that produce DHEA that converts to estrogen by the placenta

Question 13

Where is sympathetic innervation of the adrenal cortex derived from?

Answer 13

The greater splanchnic nerve

Question 14

Where in the cortex do sympathetic fibers synapse?

Answer 14

Pre-aortic or aortico-renal ganglia

Question 15

Describe sympathetic nerve supply of the adrenal medulla

Answer 15

Fibers from the greater splanchnic nerve may pass to the medulla without synapsing at all. This is because the medulla originates from neural crest cells and is like a ganglion!

Question 16

What are the histological regions of the cortex?

Answer 16

Zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, and zona reticularis

Question 17

Describe the zona glomerulosa

Answer 17

Top layer composed of balls of cells

Question 18

Zona glomerulosa is stimulated by __ and produces __

Answer 18

ang II, aldosterone

Question 19

Describe the zona fasciculata

Answer 19

Bundles of cords of cells. This layer stains lighter than the others due to being steroid secreting cells. It is the largest layer

Question 20

What are the characteristics of a steroid secreting cell?

Answer 20

1. Large amounts of lipid vacuoles
2. Smooth ER
3. Mitochondria with tubular cristae

Question 21

Zone fasciculata is stimulated by ___ and secretes ___

Answer 21

ACTH, cortisol

Question 22

Describe the zona reticularis

Answer 22

Net-like organization of cells

Question 23

Zona reticularis is stimulated by ___ and produces ___

Answer 23

ACTH, androgens

Question 24

Where are chromaffin cells?

Answer 24

In the medulla; they secrete catecholamines and are arranged in cords beside capillaries and sinusoids

Question 25

What is the origin of chromaffin cells?

Answer 25

Neural crest

Question 26

Do chromaffin cells make more epi or norepi?

Answer 26

Epi

Question 27

Larger granules in the adrenal medulla contain ___ and smaller granules contain ___

Answer 27

Norepi, epi

Question 28

Describe the blood supply within the adrenal gland

Answer 28

Capsular arteries bring blood to the capsule of the gland. Cortical capillaries are located in the zona glomerulosa and reticularis and connected through the zona fasciculata. Blood flows through the artery, through the capillary beds, and to medullary capillaries and finally medullary veins. There is also a medullary arteriole that bypasses the capillary system to bring oxygen rich blood to the medulla

Question 29

Describe how cortisol in the fasciculata gets to the medulla and why this is significant

Answer 29

It travels through the cortical and medullary capillaries, where it can activate PNMT used to convert norepi to epi