Adrenal Glands

MedlinePlus says the adrenal glands are two small organs that sit on top of each kidney. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) dictionary defines an adrenal gland as one of a pair of small, triangle-shaped glands on top of each kidney. Each adrenal gland has two parts: the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the gland, and the adrenal medulla, the center of the gland. The NCI dictionary also gives another English name, suprarenal gland.

MedlinePlus explains that hormones are chemicals that travel in the bloodstream and control how different parts of the body work. According to the NCI dictionary, the adrenal glands make steroid hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, and these hormones help control heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, and the way the body reacts to stress. The glands also make hormones that balance water and salt in the body and are involved in the development of sex characteristics.

MedlinePlus lists several adrenal gland disorders. Addison's disease is a condition in which the adrenal glands don't make enough cortisol. Cushing's syndrome is a condition caused by too much cortisol in the body. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of inherited disorders in which the adrenal glands don't make enough cortisol. MedlinePlus also notes that the pituitary gland releases hormones that affect how the adrenal glands work, and that tests of blood, urine, or saliva check hormone levels.

Glándulas suprarrenales is the term MedlinePlus en español uses, and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters the singular, glándula suprarrenal. The noun is feminine: la glándula suprarrenal, las glándulas suprarrenales. Both sources spell suprarrenal with a double r. The NCI dictionary adds también se llama glándula adrenal, and the Spanish dictionary's entry adrenal gives glándula suprarrenal as the meaning of its feminine noun sense. MedlinePlus en español puts adrenales in parentheses in its other name for the topic, trastornos de las glándulas suprarrenales (adrenales).

In the NCI dictionary the two parts are la corteza (the outer layer) and la médula (the center). Hormone names on MedlinePlus en español are cortisol, aldosterona, adrenalina and noradrenalina; the NCI dictionary adds epinefrina and norepinefrina in parentheses after the last two. MedlinePlus en español calls the stress response "lucha o huida" and names the conditions enfermedad de Addison, síndrome de Cushing and hiperplasia suprarrenal congénita. The pituitary gland is glándula pituitaria.