Adrenaline glands also referred to as the suprarenal glands, is a small gland, triangular in shape, located on top of both kidneys ( Deangelis et al., 2021) . They are responsible for producing hormones that create homeostasis in the human body. These hormones regulate metabolism, response to stress, blood pressure, and other vital functions. Since these organs are critical in the body, they can lead to Addison's disease, an adrenal insufficiency in the body when they do not produce enough hormones due to injury or tumor. Some critical hormones produced in the adrenal glands include the cortisol hormones, which regulate blood pressure, fats, and proteins; the aldosterone, which regulates electrolytes, and the adrenaline, which initiates flight or fight response. The hypothalamus, therefore, regulates the release of adrenaline hormone through short-term and long-term stress response pathways.
When the human body is stimulated with a stressor, the immune system responds by calling the hypothalamus to trigger hormonal release that will provide a burst of energy. The adrenaline and noradrenaline hormones produced at the adrenal medulla increase glucose levels in the blood by stimulating skeletal muscle cells and the liver to break down glycogen ( Kim & Choe,2019) . Additionally, the two hormones increase oxygen levels in cells by increasing heart rate. The short-term stress responses increase the survival rate by reducing blood flow in non-vital organs such as skin and increases blood supply in critical organs such as skeletal muscles, heart, and brains.
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On the other hand, the long-term response pathway is triggered by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACHT) release from the anterior pituitary gland by the hypothalamus. When ACHT is released, it stimulates the adrenal cortex to release steroid hormones, corticosteroids, which affect cell metabolism by changing an enzyme's concentration levels in the cytoplasm. Thus, the body responds to stress with a self-regulating process that returns critical systems to a narrow operation range, ensuring survival.
References
Deangelis, A., Deangelis, L., Catherino, W., & Rollene, N. L. (2021). Biochemical Pathways and Modeling. Clinical obstetrics and gynecology , 64 (1), 12-19.
Kim, K., & Choe, H. K. (2019). Role of hypothalamus in aging and its underlying cellular mechanisms. Mechanisms of ageing and development , 177 , 74-79.
