Introduction. Cortisol Is A Steroid Hormone, Found In

Introduction: Cortisol is a steroid hormone, found in the glucocorticoids (GC) class of hormones. It controls many physiological processes, vital for the survival of humans. This includes â€Å"metabolism, immune response, cardiovascular activity, and brain function† (Chung et al. 2011). Over and above control functions, cortisol also helps regulate blood pressure and its use of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. There is a strong correlation between stressful situations and circulating cortisol levels. The body response to stressful physiological or psychological situations by increasing the amount of cortisol secreted. This secretion causes the breakdown of muscle protein, which leads to the release of amino acids into the bloodstream. These†¦show more content†¦We can respond and cope with physical and emotional stresses because GC exerts effects in the body to maintain homeostasis (Chung et al. 2011) â€Å"Despite the relatively large number of studies that evalu ated stress provoked changes in cortisol secretion, the influence of a great number of variables remains to be determined† (Michaud et al. 2008). A report, written by Matheson and Cole (as cited in Michaud et al. 2008) stated that threats to an individual’s group were related to the increase in cortisol levels, particularly among individuals who had the tendency to express higher levels of anger. This experiment involved the use an of ELISA kit which stands for Enzyme- Linked- ImmunoSorbent Assay. This is based on the principle of competitive binding. A mouse monoclonal antibody coats the microplate wells directed towards an antigenic site on the cortisol molecule. 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