Word parts
What it means
The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys. Their outer layer, the cortex, makes cortisolKOR-tih-solA steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that helps control blood sugar, blood pressure, stress and inflammation.Full entry (which helps the body handle stress and controls blood sugar), aldosterone (which holds on to sodium and water), and small amounts of androgenAN-druh-jenA male sex hormone, such as testosterone, or a drug that acts like one.andr/o male-gen producingFull entry . Too little of these hormones is Addison disease; too much cortisol is Cushing syndrome. The inner part, the medulla, makes epinephrine.
At a glance
| Spanish | corteza suprarrenal |
|---|
Related terms
corticosteroid
A drug that acts like the hormones of the adrenal glands, used mainly to calm inflammation and the immune system.
cortisol
A steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that helps control blood sugar, blood pressure, stress and inflammation.
endocrine gland
A gland that releases hormones straight into the blood instead of through a tube or duct.
adren/o
A word root that means the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys.
renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
A chain of hormones that raises blood pressure and helps the body hold on to salt and water.