What do the adrenal glands secrete in response to stress?

The adrenal glands play a crucial role in the body's response to stress, primarily by secreting hormones that prepare the body for a fight-or-flight reaction. The correct answer involves the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine, also known as adrenaline and noradrenaline. When faced with stress, the sympathetic nervous system prompts the adrenal medulla, a part of the adrenal glands, to secrete these hormones, which lead to several physiological changes.

Epinephrine increases heart rate, dilates air passages, and enhances blood flow to muscles, while norepinephrine focuses attention and increases alertness. These hormones effectively prime the body to respond swiftly to a perceived threat.

The other options include hormones that do not play a primary role in the immediate stress response. While cortisol does play a significant role in stress as part of the body's longer-term response, it is not one of the immediate catecholamines released during acute stress, which is characterized by the immediate effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine. Insulin, dopamine, serotonin, and melatonin do not have the same direct role in the body’s acute stress response as the catecholamines do. Thus, understanding the specific hormonal actions of the adrenal glands clarifies why epinephrine