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The adrenal cortex is the outer region and also the largest part of the adrenal gland. It is divided into three separate zones: zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata and zona reticularis. Each zone is responsible for producing specific hormones. It is also a secondary site of androgen synthesis. [2]
The adrenal cortex is the outer region and also the largest part of an adrenal gland. It is divided into three separate zones: zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata and zona reticularis. Each zone is responsible for producing specific hormones. The adrenal cortex is the outermost layer of the adrenal gland.
Adrenocortical hormones are divided into three classes by function: mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgens. Mineralocorticoid hormones are synthesized in the outermost layer of the adrenal cortex known as the zona glomerulosa. [2] Their function is to regulate the concentration of electrolytes circulating in the blood. [1]
Glucocorticoid production is stimulated by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) [1], which is released from the anterior pituitary, especially in times of stress as part of the fight-or-flight response. The zona fasciculata also generates a small amount of weak androgens (e.g., dehydroepiandrosterone).
H & E staining of the adrenal cortex. The zona glomerulosa is the outermost layer, below the renal capsule (near the pointer) In response to increased potassium levels, renin or decreased blood flow to the kidneys, cells of the zona glomerulosa produce and secrete the mineralocorticoid aldosterone into the blood as part of the renin ...
The zona reticularis (sometimes, reticulate zone) is the innermost layer of the adrenal cortex, lying deep to the zona fasciculata and superficial to the adrenal medulla. The cells are arranged cords that project in different directions giving a net-like appearance (L. reticulum - net).
Schematic of the HPA axis (CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone) Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis or HTPA axis) is a complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus (a part of the brain located below the thalamus), the pituitary gland (a ...
During adrenarche the adrenal glands secrete increased levels of weak adrenal androgens, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and androstenedione (A4), but without increased cortisol levels. Adrenarche is the result of the development of a new zone of the adrenal cortex, the zona reticularis. [3]