ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -The inner part is the adrenal medulla (muh-DUH-luh). It makes catecholamines (kah-tuh-KO-luh-meenz), such as epinephrine (eh-puh-NEH-frun). Also called adrenaline, epinephrine increases blood pressure and heart rate when the body is under stress.

Detailed explanation-2: -During times of stress, the hypothalamus, a collection of nuclei that connects the brain and the endocrine system, signals the pituitary gland to produce a hormone, which in turn signals the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, to increase the production of cortisol.

Detailed explanation-3: -Symptoms said to be due to adrenal fatigue include tiredness, trouble falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning, salt and sugar craving, and needing stimulants like caffeine to get through the day. These symptoms are common and non-specific, meaning they can be found in many diseases.

Detailed explanation-4: -The hormones produced by the adrenal medulla are called catecholamines. They act as hormones and as neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the nervous system). They manage the body’s response to stress. The 2 more important catecholamines are epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Detailed explanation-5: -As an example, for the adrenal gland to produce cortisol, the following occurs: The hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) that stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). ACTH then stimulates the adrenal glands to make and release cortisol hormones into the blood.