Adrenal Cortex Exam Questions and answers
What are the locations of the adrenal glands? - ✅✅Superior Pole of each Kidney.
Retroperitoneal.
Embedded in the Perirenal fat pad.
Left gland sits slightly more superior than right gland (liver pushes right gland down)
What kind of tissue is the adrenal medulla made of? - ✅✅chromaffin tissue
What are the zones of the adrenal cortex from superficial to deep? - ✅✅Most superficial is Zona
Glomerulosa.
Deeper is Zona Fasciculata.
Deepest is Zona Reticularis.
What are the 3 main zone-distinguishing features of the zona glomerulosa? - ✅✅1. CAPSULE
2. CELLS ARRANGED IN CIRCULAR GROUPS
3. SECRETE MINERALOCORTI-COIDS
What are the 3 main zone-distinguishing features of the ZONA FASICULATA? - ✅✅1. CELLS
ARRANGED IN LONG STRAIGHT COLUMNS
2. CAPILLARIES BETWEEN COLUMNS
3. SECRETE primarily GLUCOCORTICOIDS.
What are the 3 main zone-distinguishing features of the ZONA RETICULARIS? - ✅✅1. CELL COLUMNS
IRREGULAR
2. STILL RICH VASCULAR SUPPLY
3. SECRETE glucocorticoids, but PRIMARILY ANDROGENS
What 4 features distinguish adrenal cortex cytology as a whole compared to adrenal medulla? -
✅✅Adrenal Cortex Cytology
,1. Lipid Inclusions
2. Well Developed SER
3. Mitochondria with Tubular Cristae
4. Capillary Adjacent to each Cell
Describe the vascular supply to adrenal glands. - ✅✅ARTERIES EMPTY INTO CORTEX.
ONLY VEINS ARE IN MEDULLA.
CORTEX BLOOD FLOWS THROUGH MEDULLA CAPILLARIES.
GLUCOCORTICOIDS UPREGULATE PNMT.
What is chromaffin? What is the ONLY type of tissue to be stained by chromaffin salts? -
✅✅Chromaffin is a staining reactant. Chromaffin salts are used to produce staining reaction, only in
those tissues that produce catecholamines (epinephrin, nor epinephrin, dopamine), e.g. dopanurgic,
adrenergic, and adrenal medullary tissue.
Which phylogenetic phylums have chromaffin tissue (adrenal medulla) separated from non-chromaffin
tissue (adrenal cortex)? - ✅✅mammals and birds
What is the embryological origin of the cortex? - ✅✅mesoderm
What is the embryological origin of the medulla? - ✅✅MEDULLA FROM NEURAL CREST ECTODERM
(MODIFIED SYMPATHETIC GANGLION), i.e. these cells are really highly-modified neuronal cells.
What does the fetal adrenal cortex produce? - ✅✅FETAL ADRENAL CORTEX: PRODUCES ONLY
ANDROGENS.
Where is the definitive adrenal cortex in relation to the fetal adrenal cortex, and what 3 layers does it
develop into? - ✅✅DEFINATIVE ADRENAL CORTEX: EXTERNAL TO THE FETAL CORTEX.
Develops into zona glomerulosa, zona fasiculata, and zona reticularis
, What happens to the fetal adrenal cortex as the definitive adrenal cortex develops? - ✅✅it becomes
part of the zona reticularis
Can the placenta produce estrogen on it's own? - ✅✅NO - The placenta can produce the early
steroids, but cannot convert these to androgens (the fetal adrenal cortex accomplishes this). It can
however convert the androgens (produced by fetal adrenal cortex) into estrogen.
What stain is used to stain the adrenal capsule blue? - ✅✅aniline blue;
stains collagen fibers
What feature defines an organ? - ✅✅The presence of a capsule.
What does glomerulus mean? - ✅✅circular ball
What type of steroid does the zona glomerulosa produce? - ✅✅mineralocorticoids;
corticoid = adrenal cortex steroid
mineralo = involved in electrolyte regulation
In the zona fasiculata, how many cell layers are supplied per capillary? - ✅✅Every cell in the zona
fasiculata is directly adjacent to a capillary.
What does fascicle mean? - ✅✅fascicle = bundle
Define Reticulum - ✅✅any fine network (especially one in the body composed of cells or blood
vessels)
Glucocorticoids - ✅✅any of a group of corticosteroids (e.g., hydrocortisone) that are involved in the
metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and have anti-inflammatory activity.
Which hormones are produced in the adrenal medulla? - ✅✅20% epinephrin
What are the locations of the adrenal glands? - ✅✅Superior Pole of each Kidney.
Retroperitoneal.
Embedded in the Perirenal fat pad.
Left gland sits slightly more superior than right gland (liver pushes right gland down)
What kind of tissue is the adrenal medulla made of? - ✅✅chromaffin tissue
What are the zones of the adrenal cortex from superficial to deep? - ✅✅Most superficial is Zona
Glomerulosa.
Deeper is Zona Fasciculata.
Deepest is Zona Reticularis.
What are the 3 main zone-distinguishing features of the zona glomerulosa? - ✅✅1. CAPSULE
2. CELLS ARRANGED IN CIRCULAR GROUPS
3. SECRETE MINERALOCORTI-COIDS
What are the 3 main zone-distinguishing features of the ZONA FASICULATA? - ✅✅1. CELLS
ARRANGED IN LONG STRAIGHT COLUMNS
2. CAPILLARIES BETWEEN COLUMNS
3. SECRETE primarily GLUCOCORTICOIDS.
What are the 3 main zone-distinguishing features of the ZONA RETICULARIS? - ✅✅1. CELL COLUMNS
IRREGULAR
2. STILL RICH VASCULAR SUPPLY
3. SECRETE glucocorticoids, but PRIMARILY ANDROGENS
What 4 features distinguish adrenal cortex cytology as a whole compared to adrenal medulla? -
✅✅Adrenal Cortex Cytology
,1. Lipid Inclusions
2. Well Developed SER
3. Mitochondria with Tubular Cristae
4. Capillary Adjacent to each Cell
Describe the vascular supply to adrenal glands. - ✅✅ARTERIES EMPTY INTO CORTEX.
ONLY VEINS ARE IN MEDULLA.
CORTEX BLOOD FLOWS THROUGH MEDULLA CAPILLARIES.
GLUCOCORTICOIDS UPREGULATE PNMT.
What is chromaffin? What is the ONLY type of tissue to be stained by chromaffin salts? -
✅✅Chromaffin is a staining reactant. Chromaffin salts are used to produce staining reaction, only in
those tissues that produce catecholamines (epinephrin, nor epinephrin, dopamine), e.g. dopanurgic,
adrenergic, and adrenal medullary tissue.
Which phylogenetic phylums have chromaffin tissue (adrenal medulla) separated from non-chromaffin
tissue (adrenal cortex)? - ✅✅mammals and birds
What is the embryological origin of the cortex? - ✅✅mesoderm
What is the embryological origin of the medulla? - ✅✅MEDULLA FROM NEURAL CREST ECTODERM
(MODIFIED SYMPATHETIC GANGLION), i.e. these cells are really highly-modified neuronal cells.
What does the fetal adrenal cortex produce? - ✅✅FETAL ADRENAL CORTEX: PRODUCES ONLY
ANDROGENS.
Where is the definitive adrenal cortex in relation to the fetal adrenal cortex, and what 3 layers does it
develop into? - ✅✅DEFINATIVE ADRENAL CORTEX: EXTERNAL TO THE FETAL CORTEX.
Develops into zona glomerulosa, zona fasiculata, and zona reticularis
, What happens to the fetal adrenal cortex as the definitive adrenal cortex develops? - ✅✅it becomes
part of the zona reticularis
Can the placenta produce estrogen on it's own? - ✅✅NO - The placenta can produce the early
steroids, but cannot convert these to androgens (the fetal adrenal cortex accomplishes this). It can
however convert the androgens (produced by fetal adrenal cortex) into estrogen.
What stain is used to stain the adrenal capsule blue? - ✅✅aniline blue;
stains collagen fibers
What feature defines an organ? - ✅✅The presence of a capsule.
What does glomerulus mean? - ✅✅circular ball
What type of steroid does the zona glomerulosa produce? - ✅✅mineralocorticoids;
corticoid = adrenal cortex steroid
mineralo = involved in electrolyte regulation
In the zona fasiculata, how many cell layers are supplied per capillary? - ✅✅Every cell in the zona
fasiculata is directly adjacent to a capillary.
What does fascicle mean? - ✅✅fascicle = bundle
Define Reticulum - ✅✅any fine network (especially one in the body composed of cells or blood
vessels)
Glucocorticoids - ✅✅any of a group of corticosteroids (e.g., hydrocortisone) that are involved in the
metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and have anti-inflammatory activity.
Which hormones are produced in the adrenal medulla? - ✅✅20% epinephrin
