Disorders of the adrenal gland

The adrenal gland produces glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, sex hormones, and catecholamines. Deficiency or excess of any of these hormones results in clinical disease. Aldosterone, a mineralocorticoid that regulates sodium and water balance, is produced in the outermost of three layers that comprise the adrenal cortex, the zona glomerulosa. Cortisol, a glucocorticoid that regulates numerous metabolic processes, is produced in the middle layer of the adrenal cortex, the zona fasciculata. The innermost layer of the adrenal cortex, the zona reticularis, is primarily responsible for synthesizing and secreting androgenic steroid hormones that regulate sexual development. The central region of the adrenal gland, the medulla, produces catecholamines, which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.