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Hypersecretion, usually from a tumor, causes prolonged or continual sympathetic responses. A lack of hormones from the adrenal medulla produces no significant effects. These two hormones are secreted in response to stimulation by sympathetic nerve, particularly during stressful situations. The adrenal medulla develops from neural tissue and secretes two hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine. In females, the masculinization effect of androgen secretion may become evident after menopause, when estrogen levels from the ovaries decrease. Male hormones, androgens, and female hormones, estrogens, are secreted in minimal amounts in both sexes by the adrenal cortex, but their effect is usually masked by the hormones from the testes and ovaries. These are secreted by the innermost region. The third group of steroids secreted by the adrenal cortex is the gonadocorticoids, or sex hormones. The principal glucocorticoid is cortisol, which increases blood glucose levels. Glucocorticoids are secreted by the middle region of the adrenal cortex. The principal mineralocorticoid is aldosterone, which acts to conserve sodium ions and water in the body. Mineralocorticoids are secreted by the outermost region of the adrenal cortex. Chemically, all the cortical hormones are steroid. The adrenal cortex consists of three different regions, with each region producing a different group or type of hormones.

The adrenal cortex is regulated by negative feedback involving the hypothalamus and adrenocorticotropic hormone the medulla is regulated by nerve impulses from the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus of the brain influences both portions of the adrenal gland but by different mechanisms. The adrenal cortex is essential to life, but the medulla may be removed with no life-threatening effects. The cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland, like the anterior and posterior lobes of the pituitary, develop from different embryonic tissues and secrete different hormones. Each gland is divided into an outer cortex and an inner medulla.

The adrenal, or suprarenal, gland is paired with one gland located near the upper portion of each kidney.

Anatomy of the adrenal gland