Norepinephrine (noradrenaline), activates many of the body’s responses in much the same way as epinephrine albeit with small differences.It also increases the heart rate as well as blood pressure and muscle strength to allow the body and mind to respond more quickly to a stressful situation

Epinephrine activates the fight or flight response.

Epinephrine (adrenaline), a commonly secreted hormone during times of stress.

The medulla or inner potion of the adrenal glands secretes

Testosterone, a steroid hormone secreted in small amounts from the adrenal gland that helps regulate sexual function and offers other protective benefits.

Aldosterone, a steroid hormone that largely regulates blood pressure and plays a key role in heart and kidney health.

This hormone suppresses the immune system to prevent excess inflammatory response

Cortisol, a steroid hormone that is most commonly activated during times of stress.

The cortex, or outer portion of the adrenal gland, is divided into layers that secrete individual hormones such as: Our adrenal glands serve an important purpose, regulating several hormones that play an essential role normal bodily function. Adrenal glands measure about 1” by 3” and one is located above each kidney. Because the absence of the kidney is often a difficult diagnosis, the lying-down adrenal gland sign can be a helpful secondary sign for confirming that a kidney is absent or ectopic in position and not within the renal bed.The adrenal glands are small, triangular glands located above the kidneys. The sonographic characteristics of the crus are different from those of the adrenal gland thus, this pseudo exception can be avoided by careful inspection. Nine cases (50%) appropriately showed the linear or lying-down adrenal gland 6 (33%) showed an exception to the rule, with a normally shaped adrenal gland and 3 (17%) showed a pseudo exception in which the adrenal gland was linear but blended with the diaphragmatic crus to simulate a triangular adrenal gland. This series looked at 18 cases of an empty renal fossa in fetal, neonatal, and pediatric patients and recorded the shape of the adrenal gland. There are exceptions to this rule whereby a kidney is missing from the renal fossa, yet a normal adrenal shape is present. It is theorized that the presence of the kidney in the normal location within the renal fossa is important for the formation of the normal triangular inverted V or Y adrenal shape. A linear-shaped or “lying-down” adrenal gland is a sign often seen with the absence of the kidney in the renal fossa due to renal agenesis, renal ectopia, or horseshoe kidney.

Kidney and adrenal gland