EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation.

Detailed explanation-2: -The sympathetic nervous system drives the fight-or-flight response, while the parasympathetic nervous system drives freezing. How you react depends on which system dominates the response at the time. In general, when your ANS is stimulated, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone.

Detailed explanation-3: -Epinephrine is the principal hormone that interacts with the sympathetic nervous system in the initial part of the fight-or-flight response. Fun fact: epinephrine and norepinephrine function both as hormones in the endocrine system and as neurotransmitters in the nervous system!

Detailed explanation-4: -Adrenaline triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. This reaction causes air passages to dilate to provide the muscles with the oxygen they need to either fight danger or flee. Adrenaline also triggers the blood vessels to contract to re-direct blood toward major muscle groups, including the heart and lungs.

Detailed explanation-5: -Stress hormones include, but are not limited to: Cortisol, the main human stress hormone. Catecholamines such as adrenaline and norepinephrine. Vasopressin.