Function and Location
There are two adrenal glands in your body, one on top of each kidney. Each consists of two parts: an outer layer, the cortex, and an inner area, the medulla. Both parts produce important hormones the body needs. The cortex produces hormones that control blood pressure, salt and potassium levels and the body’s use of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The cortex also makes male sex hormones. The medulla produces adrenaline and other hormones that affect blood pressure, heart rate and sweating.
There are a number of conditions and several types of benign tumors that can affect the adrenal glands. Adrenal cancer, however, is relatively rare, striking only one or two people in a million each year.