Right gland is triangular or pyramidal in shape bearing a resemblance to a “top hat”.

Accessory suprarenal glands: Small accessory suprarenal glands which may contain adrenal cortical tissue only are typically seen in loose areolar tissue around the primary gland but might be seen in the spermatic cord, epididymis, or broad ligament of the uterus.Įvery gland is flattened anteroposteriorly.

As a whole every adrenal gland is yellowish in colour, otherwise in section the cortex is yellow and the medulla is dark brown in colour.

Onto genetically, phylogenetically, structurally, and functionally the cortex and the medulla (of suprarenal gland) are different from every other but topographically they can be quite similar.

They’re readily oxidized to a dark brown colour by specific salts of chromic acid (example, potassium dichromate), a characteristic which makes the renal medulla a part of the chromaffin system of the body.

The composition of the medulla is of large granular chromaffin cells which secrete adrenaline and noradrenaline (catecholamines). These catecholamines are like those discharged by the postganglionic sympathetic fibres and are kept in great amount in the medulla.

Keeping liver and muscle glycogen stores.

Commanding electrolyte and water balance.

A substantial number of steroid hormones are secreted by the cortex that are responsible for:.

Each suprarenal gland is composed of 2 parts: (a) a comparatively thick outer cortex which grows from the mesoderm (mesodermal lining of the peritoneal cavity) and (b) a central medulla which grows from the neural crest and is equivalent to a group of sympathetic ganglion cells.

Suprarenal gland