In the General Adaptation Syndrome, which phase involves the body's resources being mobilized in response to stress?

• A. Alarm
• B. Resistance
• C. Exhaustion
• D. Recovery

Answer: (A)

The alarm phase is the body's immediate mobilization in response to stress. When a stressor is perceived, the brain triggers the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis, flooding the body with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rapidly summon energy stores—glucose and fatty acids—into the bloodstream, increase heart rate and respiration, dilate airways, and direct blood toward muscles. The result is a surge of resources ready to confront or escape the threat. In the next phase, resistance, the body works to cope with the ongoing stress using those mobilized resources, and if stress persists, exhaustion can occur due to depletion. Recovery refers to returning to baseline after the stressor has ended, not the initial mobilization phase.