Mondo Knows Facts
Each adrenal gland is two glands in one
An outer cortex makes steroid hormones and an inner medulla makes adrenaline The adrenal cortex has three zones producing aldosterone, cortisol and weak androgens. The medulla, derived from nerve tissue, releases adrenaline and noradrenaline into the blood. The two parts have different origins and different control systems despite sharing one capsule. It sits in Mondo's human body collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.
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More facts like this
The kidneys release a hormone when oxygen runs lowSpecialised kidney cells detect low oxygen and release erythropoietin into the bloodAldosterone tells the kidney to hold on to sodiumThis adrenal hormone increases sodium reabsorption while pushing potassium outThe kidneys take a quarter of every heartbeatThough they weigh little, the kidneys receive roughly a fifth to a quarter of cardiac outputThe kidney concentrates urine with a salt gradientLoops of Henle build a salty interior that draws water out of the collecting ductSteroid hormones slip through cell membranesBeing fat-soluble, they enter cells and switch genes on or off directlyThyroid hormones are built around iodine atomsT4 carries four iodine atoms and T3 carries three, which is why iodine is essential
🫀 Human Bodyfact 148 of 200
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Tags: adrenal, hormones, kidney
Each adrenal gland is two glands in one: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- An outer cortex makes steroid hormones and an inner medulla makes adrenaline. The figure is taken from Endocrine Society, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a human body fact?
- Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.