Question

When a person is in a state of fear, the hormone epinephrine is released. This stimulates the activation of energy-generating catabolic pathways in order to provide the body with energy for a response to danger. How would that be helpful to a person who encounters a lion?

A. Activation of catabolic pathways will cleave the bonds in the ribose sugar of ATP, leading to the release of the maximum amount of energy from ATP, allowing the person to run to escape the lion.
B. Activation of catabolic pathways is expected to decrease entropy. Since reactions that decrease entropy tend to be spontaneous, these reactions will be favorable and will likely allow production of ATP to help the person escape the lion.
C. Activation of catabolic pathways would generate ATP. Breaking the bonds that connect one phosphate group to another in ATP releases energy that allows the person to run away.
D. Activation of catabolic pathways will directly allow the person to store energy in the form of large macromolecules. Stored energy can be used to help the person escape the lion.
E. Activation of catabolic pathways would allow the person to directly harness more energy from the sun. Energy harnessed from the sun can be used to fuel muscles to escape the lion.

Answer 1

Epinephrine stimulates catabolic pathways that break down glycogen to glucose, releasing energy to form ATP, which powers muscle contractions, enabling someone to escape immediate danger, such as running from a lion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a person encounters a lion and experiences a state of fear, the hormone epinephrine is released, leading to the activation of catabolic pathways. These pathways break down large molecules like glycogen into smaller ones such as glucose, thus releasing energy that gets transferred into ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the energy currency of cells, which can then be used immediately to power muscle contractions that enable the person to run and escape from the lion. This quick energy supply is crucial for survival in dangerous situations, as it facilitates rapid responses in the 'fight or flight' scenario.