Discuss the differences between the effects of norepinephrine and epinephrine on the body's systems

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Norepinephrine has much the same effect as epinephrine on the body's systems. However, norepinephrine is released by the adrenal medulla in smaller amounts than epinephrine. The ratio of release is 1 to 5 of norepinephrine to epinephrine though this ratio may change under different conditions. The effects of the circulating hormone norepinephrine last up to 10 times longer than the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine on the target cells by the sympathetic post-ganglionic fibers. There is some research to indicate that epinephrine plays a much greater role in mental stressors such as mental arithmetic, and norepinephrine plays a greater role in physical stressors such as physical exercise. Also, epinephrine appears to be most closely associated with the emotional state of fear and norepinephrine with anger. Although both epinephrine and norepinephrine have similar effects on the heart, the effect is greater with epinephrine. Epinephrine also produces 5 to 10 times the acceleration of the body's metabolic rate than norepinephrine and is capable of more than doubling the body's normal rate.