Question

During the fight-or-flight reaction, epinephrine is released from the adrenal medulla and binds to ________ receptors on the vascular smooth muscle of heart, liver, and skeletal muscle arterioles and results in ________ blood flow to these organs; epinephrine can also bind to ________ receptors on other tissues, causing ________ blood flow to these organs.

Answer 1

During the fight-or-flight response, epinephrine binds to α-adrenergic receptors, causing increased blood flow to the heart, liver, and muscles, while binding to β-adrenergic receptors leads to decreased blood flow to less essential areas.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the fight-or-flight reaction, epinephrine is released from the adrenal medulla and binds to α-adrenergic receptors on the vascular smooth muscle of heart, liver, and skeletal muscle arterioles and results in increased blood flow to these organs; epinephrine can also bind to β-adrenergic receptors on other tissues, causing decreased blood flow to these organs. Epinephrine, upon binding to α-adrenergic receptors, generally induces vasoconstriction, which helps redirect blood towards crucial organs during a stress response. In contrast, the activation of β-adrenergic receptors usually causes vasodilation, which enhances blood flow to essential organs and tissues.