Final answer:
The adrenal medulla is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system, not by pituitary hormones. It releases epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress, as part of the short-term stress response, which is controlled by nerve impulses from the hypothalamus, not by the pituitary gland.
Step-by-step explanation:
Your friend's statement regarding the control of the adrenal medulla by hormones from the pituitary is not entirely accurate. While the pituitary gland does secrete many hormones that regulate various endocrine glands, the adrenal medulla is primarily controlled through neural pathways rather than hormonal.
Specifically, the adrenal medulla is an extension of the sympathetic nervous system and is stimulated by nerve impulses from the hypothalamus through the sympathomedullary (SAM) pathway.
The hypothalamus sends signals to the adrenal medulla to secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress. These hormones play a crucial role in the body's short-term stress response by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels, and altering blood flow towards essential organs.
Contrarily, the secretion of hormones by the adrenal cortex for long-term stress response is in fact regulated by the pituitary gland through adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Therefore, the adrenal medulla is directly stimulated by the nervous system rather than being regulated by pituitary hormones. This distinguishes the short-term stress response mediated by the adrenal medulla from the long-term stress response, which is hormonally regulated by the adrenal cortex via the pituitary gland.