Quick Facts
The medullary arteries are arteries that arise from the subcapsular arterial plexus. They pass through the cortex to reach the medulla, without providing any branches to the cortex. They join the medullary venous sinus.
Related parts of the anatomy
Structure and/or Key Features:
The medullary arteries are one set of arteries that arise from the subcapsular arterial plexus. They are longitudinal vessels that pass through the zones of the cortex, with the trabeculae, or the inward projections of the capsule, to reach the medulla, without providing any branches to the cortex. They join the medullary venous sinus in the medulla of the suprarenal gland. Therefore, the medullary arteries, together with the cortical sinusoids, provide a dual blood supply to the medulla (Inomata & Sasano, 2015).
Function
The dual blood supply to the medulla of the suprarenal gland is vital for the rapid transport of both glucocorticoids and enriched blood to the medulla, required in response to stress (Inomata & Sasano, 2015).
References
Inomata, A. & Sasano, H. (2015) Practical approaches for evaluating adrenal toxicity in nonclinical safety assessment. J Toxicol Pathol, 28(3), 125-32.
