Adrenal gland facts for kids

The adrenal gland is a small but mighty gland found in most mammals, including humans. It sits right near your kidneys. In fact, its name comes from Latin: "ad" means "near" and "renes" means "kidneys."

Each adrenal gland has two main parts. The outer part is called the adrenal cortex. The inner part is known as the adrenal medulla. These two parts work together but make different types of hormones. Hormones are like chemical messengers that travel through your blood and tell your body what to do.

The adrenal glands are super important for helping your body handle stress. They also produce special steroid hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline.

What Does the Adrenal Cortex Do?

This diagram shows how your brain and adrenal glands communicate to control hormone levels.

This chart shows how different hormones are made in the adrenal glands.

The adrenal cortex is the outer layer of the adrenal gland. It makes several important steroid hormones. These hormones are all made from cholesterol.

Here are some of the key hormones produced by the adrenal cortex:

• Cortisol: This is a major stress hormone. It helps your body respond to stress, control blood sugar, and reduce inflammation. Your body can change cortisol into another form called cortisone, and then back again.
• Aldosterone: This hormone helps control your blood pressure. It also balances important salts, like sodium and potassium, in your body.
• Androgens: These are a type of sex hormone. They are important for developing male characteristics, but both boys and girls have them.

What Does the Adrenal Medulla Do?

The adrenal medulla is the inner part of the adrenal gland. It produces hormones that are famous for their role in the "fight or flight" response.

The main hormones made here are:

• Adrenaline (also called Epinephrine in the U.S.): This hormone gets your body ready for action. It makes your heart beat faster, increases blood flow to your muscles, and helps you react quickly to danger.
• Noradrenaline (also called norepinephrine in the U.S.): This hormone works closely with adrenaline. It also helps prepare your body for stressful situations.

These hormones are released when you are scared, excited, or under pressure. They give you a burst of energy to either face a challenge or get away from it!

Images for kids

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  A close-up view of the human adrenal gland under a microscope. You can see its different layers, from the outside to the center.

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  This image shows skin changes that can happen with a condition called Addison's disease, which affects the adrenal glands.

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  This chart shows how often adrenal tumors occur and what their outlook is.

See also

In Spanish: Glándula suprarrenal para niños