Video Transcript
Which letter on the diagram
indicates an adrenal gland?
Let’s quickly review the key points
about the roles of the adrenal glands and what their name means so we can answer
this question correctly.
The adrenal glands, sometimes
called suprarenal glands, are endocrine glands. The definition of an endocrine
gland is a group of specialized cells that secrete hormones into the blood. A hormone is a chemical messenger
that travels, usually through the bloodstream, to target cells, where they bring
about a response. The adrenal glands release many
different hormones with many different functions. Some of the hormones are involved
in the fight-or-flight response to help protect us from danger. Others regulate food metabolism,
water balance in our cells, and some even contribute to the development of our
sexual characteristics.
This question is asking us to
identify where the adrenal glands are found in our body. If we look at the name “adrenal”
and break it down, it actually tells us where they are positioned. Renal is the Latin word for kidney,
and ad- is the Latin for near to. As mentioned previously, the
adrenal glands can also be called suprarenal glands. Supra- means above. If you combine all this
information, it tells us that the adrenal glands are on top of the kidneys, near to
them. They actually look a little bit
like a hat on top of each kidney. We have two kidneys, each about the
size of a fist. And they are found on each side of
the vertebral column just below the rib cage.
If we now return to the diagram in
the question and locate the kidneys, we will see the adrenal glands on top. This means the correct answer to
the question “Which letter on the diagram indicates an adrenal gland?” is X.
