The two triangular adrenal glands sit on the tops of the right and left kidneys and are used to produce hormones such as aldosterone that regulates salt and water metabolism and helps to maintain blood pressure. The gland also produces cortisol, which is involved in the breakdown of protein and fat and the elevation of blood glucose levels.
Sex hormones are also produced, including testosterone, oestrogen and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which are important in development and maintenance of pubic hair, axillary hair, pubertal growth spurts and sex drive.
The gland also produces adrenaline and noradrenaline, which play a central role in the short-term stress reaction.
