- Suprarenal (adrenal) gland: paired endocrine gland at the upper pole of each kidney, enclosed with the kidney in the renal fascia.
- Each gland has an outer cortex (mesodermal) secreting steroid hormones and an inner medulla (neural crest) secreting catecholamines.
Location, Shape and Measurements
- Location: epigastric region, anterosuperior to the kidney's upper pole.
- Shape: each gland flattened anteroposteriorly; right gland triangular or pyramidal (top hat), left gland crescentic or semilunar (cocked hat).
- At birth the gland is about one-third the size of the kidney; in the adult it is only 1/30th the size of the kidney.
Measurement
Length
- Value
- 50 mm
Breadth
- Value
- 30 mm
Thickness
- Value
- 10 mm
Weight
- Value
- about 5 g