Practice question · Put in order
Order the steps of the HPA axis, the body's slow stress pathway.
- The pituitary signals the adrenal glands.
- The adrenal glands release cortisol.
- Cortisol mobilizes energy for the stress response.
- Cortisol feeds back to shut the axis down.
- The hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland.
Hints
- The cascade runs hypothalamus -> pituitary -> adrenal glands; put those first.
- The final step is negative feedback: the product switching off its own production.
Show the answer
- The hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland.
- The pituitary signals the adrenal glands.
- The adrenal glands release cortisol.
- Cortisol mobilizes energy for the stress response.
- Cortisol feeds back to shut the axis down.
Why
Hypothalamus triggers pituitary, which triggers the adrenals to release cortisol, which mobilizes energy and then feeds back to shut the cascade down. That closing negative-feedback loop keeps cortisol from climbing without limit.
Practise The Endocrine System
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