Practice question · Put in order
Order the steps of the HPA axis, the body's central stress pathway.
- Rising cortisol acts on the body's stress response.
- Cortisol feeds back to the hypothalamus and pituitary, shutting the cascade off.
- That hormone prompts the adrenal cortex to release cortisol.
- The hypothalamus releases a triggering hormone.
- The anterior pituitary responds by releasing a second hormone into the blood.
Hints
- The cascade runs hypothalamus -> pituitary -> adrenal cortex; put those in order first.
- The last step is negative feedback - the product switching off its own production.
Show the answer
- The hypothalamus releases a triggering hormone.
- The anterior pituitary responds by releasing a second hormone into the blood.
- That hormone prompts the adrenal cortex to release cortisol.
- Rising cortisol acts on the body's stress response.
- Cortisol feeds back to the hypothalamus and pituitary, shutting the cascade off.
Why
The hypothalamus triggers the pituitary, which triggers the adrenal cortex to release cortisol, and rising cortisol then feeds back to shut the cascade off. That final negative-feedback loop is what keeps cortisol from climbing without limit.
Practise Endocrine System
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