Many of the clinical manifestations for acute stress are attributed to activation of the sympathetic nervous system and are mediated by:

Choice A Reason:

The statement that the medication will be completely out of the patient’s body after three days is incorrect. The half-life of a drug indicates the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the body to reduce by half. After one half-life (one day), 50% of the drug remains. After two half-lives (two days), 25% remains. After three half-lives (three days), 12.5% remains. Therefore, some amount of the drug will still be present in the body after three days.

Choice B Reason:

To calculate the amount of medication remaining after three days, we use the half-life formula. Starting with 10 mg, after one day (one half-life), 5 mg remains. After two days (two half-lives), 2.5 mg remains. After three days (three half-lives), 1.25 mg remains. This calculation shows that 1.25 mg of the medication will still be in the patient’s body after three days.

Choice C Reason:

The choice of 5 mg is incorrect because it represents the amount of medication remaining after one half-life (one day), not three half-lives. After one day, 50% of the initial dose remains, which is 5 mg. However, the question asks for the amount remaining after three days.

Choice D Reason:

The choice of 1 mg is also incorrect. After three half-lives, the amount of medication remaining is 12.5% of the initial dose. For an initial dose of 10 mg, this would be 1.25 mg, not 1 mg. The calculation must accurately reflect the reduction by half for each half-life period.

Choice A: Convert Amino Acid to Glucose

The process of converting amino acids to glucose is known as gluconeogenesis. This metabolic pathway allows the body to produce glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, such as amino acids, during periods of fasting or intense exercise. While this process is crucial for maintaining blood glucose levels, it is not the definition of glycogenolysis.

Choice B: Break Down Glycogen to Glucose

Glycogenolysis is the biochemical process of breaking down glycogen into glucose. Glycogen, a stored form of glucose in the liver and muscle cells, is broken down to provide immediate energy and to maintain blood glucose levels during fasting or intense physical activity. This process is regulated by hormones such as glucagon and epinephrine, which activate enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of glycogen into glucose-1-phosphate and then into glucose-6-phosphate3. The glucose-6-phosphate can then be used in glycolysis to produce energy or released into the bloodstream to maintain blood glucose levels.

Choice C: Convert Glucose to Amino Acid

The conversion of glucose to amino acids is not a typical metabolic pathway. Instead, glucose is primarily used for energy production through glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. Amino acids are synthesized from intermediates of these pathways and other metabolic processes, but glucose itself is not directly converted into amino acids.

Choice D: Convert Fat to Amino Acid

The conversion of fats to amino acids is not a standard metabolic process. Fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol through lipolysis. Fatty acids can be further oxidized to produce energy, while glycerol can enter gluconeogenesis to produce glucose. Amino acids, on the other hand, are derived from dietary proteins or synthesized from other amino acids and metabolic intermediates.