You can live without your adrenal medulla??

[visceral]

According to The Diagnosis of Man by Kenneth Walker anyway, you can have it removed and not die. How come you wouldn't just get all weak and your heart slow down and all that?

[psynapse]

Wouldn't the adrenal gland produce more adrenal medulla (modifies neuronal cells) if you were to get it removed??

 

To answer your question, the adrenal medulla is only part of the adrenal gland, although it is the principle site for conversion of tyrosine into epi, norepi and dopamine, its not the only site, I am sure.

How long does it take for reserves of catacholamines to become depleted?

 

Or maybe you would keel over I don't know...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_medulla

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Adrenals.html

[visceral]

Wouldn't the adrenal gland produce more adrenal medulla (modifies neuronal cells) if you were to get it removed??

 

To answer your question, the adrenal medulla is only part of the adrenal gland, although it is the principle site for conversion of tyrosine into epi, norepi and dopamine, its not the only site, I am sure.

How long does it take for reserves of catacholamines to become depleted?

 

Or maybe you would keel over I don't know...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_medulla

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Adrenals.html

 

Oh right...I didn't know it could regenerate the medulla, and I didn't know it was not the only site either.

 

Thanks for replying.

[visceral]

You were right, the medulla isn't the only site. The capsule/glomerular area can make some epi too. If you demedullate, that area enlarges to compensate...I think...