Adrenal Gland in Cross Section

Description

Sectioned in a sagittal plane, the suprarenal (adrenal) gland is presented as an encapsulated organ with a peripheral cortex surrounding a centrally placed medulla. Cortical zones would be expected to grade from the outer zona glomerulosa just deep to the capsule, through the thicker zona fasciculata, to the darker, more compact zona reticularis abutting the corticomedullary junction. Medullary tissue occupies the deepest portion and is organized around large venous channels, with the central (adrenomedullary) vein positioned centrally and receiving tributaries that course from cortex to medulla. That corticomedullary relationship is the teaching point: steroidogenic cortical cells and chromaffin cells of the medulla sit in series along a single vascular route, so cortical blood rich in cortisol bathes the medulla before exiting via the central vein. This arrangement underpins endocrine pathophysiology, from primary adrenal insufficiency (where cortical destruction spares or secondarily affects the medulla) to catecholamine-secreting pheochromocytoma arising from the medulla and distorting the usual zonation. Surgeons also care about the capsule and central venous drainage because adrenalectomy hinges on early control of the adrenal vein, especially on the right where the short vein enters the inferior vena cava. Use this plate in endocrine blocks to reinforce cortical zonation and hormone output, in pathology atlases to compare cortical atrophy or hyperplasia with medullary tumors, and in operative anatomy teaching when orienting trainees to hilar vessels on cross-sectional correlation. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.