Final answer:
Following a minor car accident, cortisol and epinephrine cause increased sweating, heart rate, and respiration rate as part of the 'fight-or-flight' response. Sleepiness and active digestion are not consistent with the acute stress response. option c is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the event of a minor car accident where your car is rear-ended, the physical changes your body experiences are due to the release of cortisol and epinephrine. Both of these hormones trigger the 'fight-or-flight' response. Specifically, epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, floods the circulatory system, causing increased heart rate, activation of sweat glands, dilation of the bronchi in the lungs to allow more air exchange, and dilation of the pupils to increase visual sharpness.
Cortisol provides a burst of energy and affects virtually every organ system by increasing blood glucose levels and blood flow to essential organs, while decreasing functions that are not immediately necessary such as the digestive system.
Answering specifically to the options provided, the correct physiological responses to stress hormones in your body after being rear-ended in a minor car accident include: b) You begin to sweat, and c) Your heart rate and respiration rate increase.
Feelings of sleepiness or relaxation, as in option a), are not consistent with the effects of cortisol and epinephrine during an acute stress response. Option d) suggests that your digestive system starts to digest your lunch, but in fact, digestion is slowed down as blood flow is re-prioritized to the muscles and brain to prepare for potential action.