Adrenal gland
The adrenal glands are named for their location relative to the kidneys. The term "adrenal" comes from "ad-" (Latin, "near") and "renes" (Latin, "kidney"). Similarly, "suprarenal", as termed by Jean Riolan the Younger in 1629, is derived from the Latin "supra" () and "renes" (). The suprarenal nature of the glands was not truly accepted until the 19th century, as anatomists clarified the ductless nature of the glands and their likely secretory role – prior to this, there was some debate as to whether the glands were indeed suprarenal or part of the kidney.
Adrenal gland
The adrenal glands in a newborn baby are much larger as a proportion of the body size than in an adult. For example, at age three months the glands are four times the size of the kidneys. The size of the glands decreases relatively after birth, mainly because of shrinkage of the cortex. The cortex, which almost completely disappears by age 1, develops again from age 4–5. The glands weigh about 1 g at birth and develop to an adult weight of about 4 grams each. In a fetus the glands are first detectable after the sixth week of development.