Which glands release hormones that prepare the body for stress, located just above the kidneys?

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Adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are essential for the immediate stress response. When stress is detected, the adrenal medulla releases adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine, which rapidly heighten heart rate, increase blood flow to muscles, open airways, and boost glucose availability—everything that prepares the body for quick action. The adrenal cortex also secretes cortisol, which helps sustain energy and modulate various body systems during longer stress. This combination is exactly what helps the body respond to a threat or challenge.

The other glands have important roles, but they aren’t located above the kidneys and aren’t the primary source of those rapid stress hormones. The pituitary influences many processes through signaling to other glands, the thyroid sets overall metabolic rate, and the pancreas regulates blood sugar, but the adrenal glands are the ones that directly release the hormones that ready you for stress and sit right above the kidneys.