Author Question: What are glucocorticoids? What will be an ideal response?[br][br][b][color=#FA1639]Question ... (Read 82 times)

BrownTown3 · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

What are glucocorticoids?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What is beta-endorphin and what is its function?

What will be an ideal response?

Qarqy · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulates the adrenal cortex to release glucocorticoids that play an important role in the fight-or-flight response. Glucocorticoids are a family of steroid compounds that were so named because of their effect of raising glucose levels in the bloodstream. The primary glucocorticoid secreted by the adrenal cortex is cortisol.

Answer to Question 2

Beta-endorphin is a natural opiate that has strong analgesic (pain relieving) properties. In an imminent life threatening struggle with a predator or competitor, pain from acute injury could debilitate a person and prevent that person from escaping the threat. Therefore, it is more adaptive for a person's survival to have systems that temporarily inhibit pain until the person is safe from imminent threat. Beta-endorphin serves this purpose.