Adrenal medulla

Looks like

The reddish-brown core of each adrenal gland.

What it does

Releases adrenaline and noradrenaline for the fight-or-flight response.

Keeping it well

A rare tumour here (phaeochromocytoma) causes attacks of pounding heart, sweating and headache with high blood pressure.

Related conditions

• Adrenal insufficiency (Addison's)
• Burnout
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Cushing's syndrome
• Hyperthyroidism & Graves' disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Menopause & perimenopause
• Neuroblastoma
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Postnatal depression
• Type 1 diabetes