The Hormone Adrenaline (Cambridge O Level Biology)

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The Hormone Adrenaline

  • Adrenaline is known as the 'fight or flight' hormone as it is produced in situations where the body may be in danger
    • Flight = remove oneself rapidly from a dangerous situation eg. run away
    • Fight = if flight is not possible, resort to physical combat to overcome danger
  • It causes a range of different things to happen in the body, all designed to prepare it for movement (i.e. fight or flight)
  • These include: 
    • Increasing blood glucose concentration to deliver more important glucose to muscle cells for increased respiration
    • Increasing pulse rate and breathing rate so glucose and oxygen can be delivered to muscle cells, and carbon dioxide taken away, from muscles cells more quickly
    • 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
  • Examples of situations where these effects may occur are:
    • Being faced with danger
    • An adventurous activity e.g. riding a roller coaster
    • Extreme sport e.g. skydiving or bungee jumping
    • Risky behaviour/activity e.g. parkour
    • A scary incident e.g. a car accident 

Examiner Tip

It is worth learning this list of effects of adrenaline as it is a fairly common exam question and can be worth several easy marks.

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Cara Head

Author: Cara Head

Expertise: Biology

Cara graduated from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has fifteen years of experience teaching the Sciences at KS3 to KS5, and Psychology at A-Level. Cara has taught in a range of secondary schools across the South West of England before joining the team at SME. Cara is passionate about Biology and creating resources that bring the subject alive and deepen students' understanding