Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) stimulates which part of the adrenal gland?

• A. Adrenal medulla
• B. Adrenal cortex
• C. Adrenal capsule
• D. Renal cortex

Answer: (B)

ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex. The adrenal gland has two main functional parts: the cortex on the outside and the medulla inside. The cortex produces hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens, and ACTH from the pituitary specifically drives the production and release of cortisol in response to stress. The adrenal medulla, on the other hand, is stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system to release catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine), not by ACTH. The renal cortex is part of the kidney, not the adrenal gland, and the capsule is the connective tissue surrounding the gland. So the correct part that ACTH stimulates is the adrenal cortex.