Adrenaline
- Adrenaline is known as the fight or flight hormone as it is produced in situations where the body may be in danger
- It causes a range of different things to happen in the body, all designed to prepare it for movement (ie fight or flight).
- These include:
- Increasing blood glucose concentration for increased respiration in muscle cells
- Increasing heart rate and breathing rate so glucose and oxygen can be delivered to muscle cells, and carbon dioxide taken away, from muscles cells more quickly
- Increased blood pressure
- Diverting blood flow towards muscles and away from non-essential parts of the body such as the alimentary canal; again to ensure the reactants of respiration are as available as possible
- Dilating pupils to allow as much light as possible to reach the retina so more information can be sent to the brain
Exam Tip
It is worth learning this list of effects of adrenaline on the body as it is a fairly common exam question and can be worth several easy marks.
