Module 2 Lesson 5 - 2
Lesson 5 — The Adrenal Gland
Adrenal Gland and Stress Reactions
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Similar to small baseball caps, the adrenal glands perch on top of the kidneys. Further examination shows that each adrenal gland is really two glands with the adrenal cortex (meaning bark) wrapped around the adrenal medulla (meaning middle).
The adrenal cortex consists of layers of secretory cells and the adrenal medulla consists of modified nerve cells. What other gland have you studied that is made of both nervous and endocrine tissue? You might have forgotten, but the posterior pituitary gland is correct. Both parts of the adrenal gland produce and release hormones in response to stress stimuli.
The stress reactions of the human body comprise a wide range of reactions that prepare the body to resist any damaging or potentially damaging changes in the environment. A great variety of stimuli trigger stress responses by adrenal glands, including injury to the body, infections, and emotional responses such as fear, anger, or extreme sadness. The effect of any particular stimulus varies from person to person.
Watch and Listen
At this time, you may want to review and reinforce concepts about the adrenal gland and stress responses by viewing the following segment of Biologix-12 on Adrenal Glands (3 minutes).