Final answer:
The body's response to stress, known as the 'fight-or-flight' response, increases heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol through hormonal activations. Extended exposure to such stress can negatively affect health, including immune system suppression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The body's stress reaction that includes an increase in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol is known as the stress response or the 'fight-or-flight' response. This response, while originally essential for survival in face of immediate physical threats, has evolved to also react to modern-day psychological stressors such as job strain or personal loss.
The sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are activated during this reaction, releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. These hormones prepare the body for quick action, but extended exposure to stress can lead to negative health consequences, such as a weakened immune system and psychophysiological disorders. High levels of cortisol, for example, can make a person more susceptible to infections and diseases due to suppressed immune functions.