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Adrenal Medulla

The adrenal medulla produces adrenaline and noradrenaline in response to stimulation by the sympathetic nervous system.Adrenaline rapidly raises blood sugar levels by converting glycogen in the liver to glucose and increases the heart rate in order to increase blood flow to the brain and muscles.Noradrenaline is also a neurotransmitter. As a hormone its effects include increasing the heart rate, widening of pupils, widening of the air passages and the constricting of blood vessels to and around non-vital organs in order to raise blood pressure in response to stress.

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Read the text and highlight anything you think is important. When you go on, the text is hidden and you answer from memory.

Specification: OCR Biology A (H420), A-level, 5.1.4 Hormonal communication. Topic: Hormonal Communication.

Key terms in this lesson

Neurotransmitter
A chemical released from the presynaptic membrane at a synapse that diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, triggering a response.
Sympathetic nervous system
The division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the fight-or-flight response, generally increasing activity.
Hormone
A chemical messenger, secreted directly into the blood by an endocrine gland, that travels to target cells and alters their activity.

More in Hormonal Communication

All 19 lessons in Hormonal Communication · All OCR A-level Biology topics