Imagine a situation that makes your heart race. Maybe it’s sitting down to take a test. Or stepping on stage to perform in a recital. Or working up the nerve to talk to your crush.
Such stressful situations can send the hormone adrenaline coursing through your veins. This chemical plays a key role in your body’s fight-or-flight response, which prepares you to face down danger.
When your brain perceives a threat, it sends a distress signal to the adrenal glands near your kidneys. That chemical messenger spurs the glands to release adrenaline. This hormone is also known as epinephrine.
See all the entries from our Let’s Learn About series
Adrenaline then races through your bloodstream to reach other organs. It makes your heart beat faster to supply blood to the muscles. It also makes you breathe faster, getting more oxygen to your brain and boosting alertness. Adrenaline even slow...
English (US)