|
| | |
Adrenal cortex
Adrenal cortex The outer portion of the adrenal gland that secretes hormones that are vital to the body.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Gland
An organ that releases a chemical. Endocrine glands are ductless and secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream. Exocrine glands secrete externally, either through a tube or duct.
Hormones
Biological compounds that communicate information at a distance. Hormones require specific receptors to begin their biological action and use second messengers to initiate the cellular process that uses that information.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Adrenal failure
A condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the adrenal hormones that control important functions such as blood pressure. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys. The adrenal is made up of an outer layer (the cortex) and an inner portion (the medulla). The adrenal glands produce hormones that help control the heart rate, blood pressure, the way the body uses food, and other vital functions. The adrenal cortex secretes steroid (cortisone-related) hormones and mineralocortoids that regulate the levels of minerals such as sodium and potassium in the blood.
Adrenal gland
The pair of adrenal glands are located on top of both kidneys. Adrenal glands work hand-in-hand with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
Adrenal glands
Two glands, one on top of each kidney, which produce a variety of hormones that affect nearly every body system.
Adrenal medulla
"The inner portion of adrenal gland. (The outer portion is the adrenal cortex). The adrenal medulla makes epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). Epinephrine is secreted in response to low blood levels of glucose as well as exercise and stress; it causes the breakdown of the storage product glycogen to the sugar glucose in the liver, facilitates the release of fatty acids from adipose (fat) tissue, causes dilation (widening) of the small arteries within muscle and increases the output of the heart. Norepinephrine secreted by the adrenal gland acts to narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure. Underfunction of the adrenal medulla is virtually unknown. However, a tumor called a pheochromocytoma produces norepinephrine and epinephrine and is equivalent to overfunction of the adrenal medulla. Pheochromocytomas arise within the adrenal medulla or elsewhere in the sympathetic nervous system. They typically cause hypertension (high blood pressure) that may be paroxysmal (sharply episodic) with attacks of headaches, feelings of apprehension, sweating, flushing of the face, nausea and vomiting, palpitations and tingling of the extremities (the arms and legs)."
Adrenaline
Or epinephrine. One of two chemicals (the other is norepinephrine) released by the adrenal gland that increases the speed and force of heartbeats. It dilates the airways to improve breathing and narrows blood vessels in the skin and intestine so that an increased flow of blood reaches the muscles and allows them to cope with the demands of exercise.
Adrenals
Located on the top of the kidneys, these glands that are responsible for the production of stress-related hormones such as cortisol, DHEA, and adrenaline.
Adrenergic
This refers to neuronal or neurologic activity caused by neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Adrenocortical carcinoma
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a carcinoma of the cortex (outer layer) of the adrenal gland. While most tumors of the adrenal cortex are benign (adenomas) and only occasionally cause Cushing's syndrome, the malignant form makes up about 3% of all cortical tumors and requires surgery and sometimes chemotherapy. Excess cortisol production may require suppression with ketoconazole or metyrapone. Production of aldosterone or androgens by carcinomas is extremely rare.
Adrenocortical hormone
One of the hormones, for example cortisol, secreted not from the internal medulla but from the external cortex of the bilateral adrenocortical glands.
Adrenocortiotrophic hormone
The hormone released from the pituitary gland. It interacts with receptors on the adrenal gland to begin the process of cortisol and DHEA production. ACTH uses the second messenger cyclic AMP to signal target cells in the adrenal gland.
Adrenoleukodystrophy
A rare genetic (inherited) disorder characterized by the breakdown or loss of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells in the brain and progressive dysfunction of the adrenal gland. Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is one of a group of genetic disorders called the leukodystrophies that cause damage to the myelin sheath of the nerve fibers in the brain. The myelin sheath is a fatty covering which acts as an electrical insulator.
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Abilify
Commercial name for Aripiprazole. It is the sixth of the second generation antipsychotic (or atypical antipsychotic) medications to hit the market. Aripirazole is FDA approved for the treatment of schizophrenia. Additionally, it has recently received FDA approval for the treatment of acute manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
Ankle
A gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus.
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH), or arginine vasopressin (AVP), is a peptide hormone produced by the hypothalamus, and stored in the posterior part of the pituitary gland. ADH acts on the kidneys, concentrating the urine by promoting the reabsorption of water from the cortical collecting duct.
Acetylcholine
The neurotransmitter substance at cholinergic synapses, which causes cardiac inhibition, vasodilation, gastrointestinal peristalsis, and other parasympathetic effects. It is liberated from preganglionic and postganglionic endings of parasympathetic fibers and from preganglionic fibers of the sympathetic as a result of nerve injuries, whereupon it acts as a transmitter on the effector organ; it is hydrolyzed into choline and acetic acid by acetylcholinesterase before a second impulse may be transmitted.
Anaphase
The stage in mitosis or meiosis during which the sister chromatids (mitosis) or homologous chromosomes (meiosis) separate and migrate toward the opposite poles of the cell.
Adrenal cortex
Adrenal gland
The pair of adrenal glands are located on top of both kidneys. Adrenal glands work hand-in-hand with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
Aldosterone
A hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex which affects blood
pressure and saline balance.
Androgen hormone
A hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex which affects the development of male characteristics.
Acne vulgaris
Disease of the pilosebaceous unit (the sebaceous follicle, sebaceous glands and sebaceous ducts) and is characterized by comedones, pustules, papules, nodules, and cysts. It usually erupts during adolescence, but may continue to erupt even after adolescence.
Alzheimer Disease
The leading cause of dementia which is a set of symptoms that includes loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood and behavior. Alzheimer disease gradually destroys vital nerve cells in the brain. it is not a normal part of aging.
We thank you for using the Health Dictionary to search for Adrenal cortex. If you have a better definition for Adrenal cortex than the one presented here, please let us know by making use of the suggest a term option. This definition of Adrenal cortex may be disputed by other professionals. Our attempt is to provide easy definitions on Adrenal cortex and any other medical topic for the public at large.This dictionary contains 25007 terms. |
|
|
