Question

Feeling tremors of an earthquake, a scared resident begins to climb down the stairs rapidly from the seventh floor. The hormone in play is
(a) Glucagon
(b) Adrenaline
(c) Gastrin
(d) Thyroxine

Answer 1

After feeling the tremors, the resident was scared and climbed down rapidly. This indicates a fight or flight response. The hormone responsible for this response is secreted in pyramid-shaped glands present over the kidneys. This hormone is also called epinephrine.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
The fight or flight response is controlled by the hormones secreted by the adrenal glands present over the kidneys, called the adrenaline. It is secreted from the adrenal medulla or the internal or inner part of the adrenal glands. It is also known as epinephrine.
Adrenaline is released during stress situations of any kind or emergencies and is therefore called the emergency hormone and as such the adrenal gland is called the emergency gland. It also prepares the body during the fright, fight or flight situations and hence also called as 3F or fright, fight, and flight hormones.
- Adrenaline produces effects on various organs of the body. It increases heart rate, the strength of cardiac contractions, and also the rate of respiration.
- It causes sweating, palpitations, piloerection, or the response of raising of hair, alertness, and pupillary dilation.
- It also stimulates the breakdown of glycogen to form glucose, resulting in an increased concentration of glucose in the blood.
- It also increases the breakdown of proteins and lipids.
- In some cases, it is also secreted in certain neurons in the medulla oblongata of the brain where it acts as a neurotransmitter.
So, the correct answer is, ‘(b) Adrenaline.’

Note:
- Increased adrenaline secretion beyond certain levels, can also result in myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock.
- Adrenal glands secrete another catecholamine called the noradrenaline or norepinephrine.
- Noradrenaline acts as the main neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system and is responsible for an increase in blood pressure and tonic and reflexive changes in cardiovascular tone.