Beginner Adrenal Medulla Quiz

Q1. Where is the adrenal medulla located within the adrenal gland?

• Immediately outside the adrenal capsule
• Within the renal pelvis
• Inside the peritoneal cavity
• Central region of the adrenal gland

Q2. Which cells are the principal endocrine cells of the adrenal medulla?

• Hepatocytes
• Parietal cells
• Podocytes
• Chromaffin cells

Q3. From which embryologic cell population does the adrenal medulla develop?

• Foregut endoderm
• Mesodermal cortical cells
• Neural crest cells
• Surface ectoderm

Q4. Which substances are principally secreted by adrenal medullary chromaffin cells?

• Aldosterone and cortisol
• Thyroxine and calcitonin
• Epinephrine and norepinephrine
• Insulin and glucagon

Q5. Which division of the autonomic nervous system directly controls adrenal medullary secretion?

• Somatic motor system
• Parasympathetic nervous system only
• Sympathetic nervous system
• Enteric nervous system only

Q6. What type of sympathetic fibers synapse directly on adrenal chromaffin cells?

• Parasympathetic postganglionic fibers
• Postganglionic sympathetic fibers only
• Somatic motor fibers
• Preganglionic sympathetic fibers

Q7. Chromaffin cells are functionally comparable to which cells?

• Renal tubular epithelial cells
• Sensory ganglion neurons
• Modified postganglionic sympathetic neurons
• Skeletal muscle fibers

Q8. Which catecholamine is usually the predominant secretion of the human adrenal medulla?

• Serotonin
• Epinephrine
• Acetylcholine
• Dopamine exclusively

Q9. Where do adrenal medullary hormones enter after secretion?

• The gastrointestinal lumen
• The renal pelvis
• The peritoneal cavity
• The bloodstream

Q10. Which statement best describes the adrenal medulla?

• A central neuroendocrine tissue composed of sympathetic chromaffin cells
• A lymphatic organ without endocrine function
• A renal structure producing urine
• An outer mesodermal layer producing steroid hormones