What hormones do the adrenal glands secrete during stressful situations?

The adrenal glands play a crucial role in the body's response to stress by secreting hormones that help prepare the body for a "fight or flight" reaction. The correct answer, which mentions epinephrine and norepinephrine, highlights the primary hormones released from the adrenal medulla during short-term stress.

Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, increases heart rate, enhances blood flow to muscles, and boosts energy supplies, while norepinephrine works to increase blood pressure and redirect blood flow to essential organs. Together, these hormones are essential for immediate responses during stressful situations.

In contrast, while cortisol is also a stress hormone, which is secreted by the adrenal cortex during prolonged stress, it is not among the answer choices. The hormones insulin and glucagon are primarily associated with the regulation of blood glucose levels rather than stress responses. Similarly, testosterone and estrogen are sex hormones and do not play a direct role in the acute stress response. Thus, the role of epinephrine and norepinephrine in immediate stress responses makes this answer clearly aligned with the physiological changes that occur during stress.