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Main article: Adrenal gland. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys in humans and in front of the kidneys in other animals. The adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol.
Hormones are produced by endocrine glands. In humans and many other animals, hormones are either peptide hormones (modified amino acids, peptides, small proteins) or steroid and steroid-like hormones. The endocrine glands are ductless glands and secrete hormones directly into the blood vessels nearby. The hormones are then carried throughout the body and act upon target cells and tissues. The target cells have protein receptors which recognize the hormone and bind it. This interaction of the hormone and its specific receptor occurs either in the cell membrane (amino acid, peptide, or small protein hormone) or in the cell interior (steroid hormones).