Stress (physiology)

This article is about the pathological process. For other uses of the term Stress, please see Stress (disambiguation).

Stress is a pathological process resulting from the reaction of the body to external forces and abnormal conditions that tend to disturb the organism's homeostasis. The term includes "aggressology" (French: aggressologie) & the French "aggression". "The body" is not limited to that of humans; all living organisms have stressors and stress responses, but the term is not used, by the National Library of Medicine, in indexing information on lower animals, plants or microorganisms.

Stress and the endocrine system

The major hormones that are produced during stress are the adrenal glands' secretion of catecholamines, glucocorticoids and DHEA.

Stress and the immune system

"The major glucocorticoid, cortisol (a prednisone-like anti-inflammatory steroid) reduces the immune response. In vitro studies have shown that cortisol suppresses neutrophil function, and this can be overcome by coincubation with DHEA sulfate. catecholamines and cortisol can both be immunosuppressive if chronically elevated... In contrast, DHEA is a precursor to sex hormones and is immune enhancing.