suprarenal glands


Adrenal Gland

Either of a pair of small flat triangular glands which lie atop or adjacent to each kidney and which are composed of
(1) The outer adrenal cortex, an endocrine gland composed of three layers, from the outermost zona glomerulosa, which produces mineralocorticoids, primarily aldosterone that regulates blood pressure, the middle zona fasciculata, which produces glucocorticoids, primarily cortisol, and the inner zona reticularis, which produces androgens, primarily DHEA and DHEA-S, and
(2) The central adrenal medulla, a neuroendocrine "organ" which produces catecholmines (epinephrine/adrenaline & norepinephrine/noradrenaline) in response to stress signals from the peripheral nervous system.
Blood supply
Arterial
• Superior suprarenal artery from the inferior phrenic artery
• Middle suprarenal artery from the abdominal aorta
• Inferior suprarenal artery from the renal artery
Venous
• Right suprarenal vein to the inferior vena cava
• Left suprarenal vein to the left renal vein or the left inferior phrenic vein

suprarenal glands

A now obsolete term for the adrenal glands.