Stress is best defined as ________ .

 

• a.

  negative events that tax the body

• b.

  challenges to the body systems

• c.

  the perception of strain

• d.

  the upsetting of homeostasis

Anything that puts pressure on the body causes stress, which is the body's natural reaction to that pressure. Some of the pressure comes from physical exertion (exercise and injuries), while others are psychological (worry and dread). Stress triggers the release of hormones that raise the heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels in the body's blood vessels and tissue. Known as the "fight-or-flight" reaction, this is the body's natural response. Stress may be helpful in the short term because it provides the body with the resources and energy it needs to cope with a danger. Aside from heart disease and hypertension, long-term stress may cause a wide range of health issues, including mental disorders.

Option d, "the disruption of homeostasis," is the most accurate description of stress. For this reason, the body's reaction to a change in its environment, known as homeostasis, might disrupt the body's usual state of equilibrium.