________is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands in the body. It increases the metabolism of glucose and regulates the blood pressure.

• A. Eustress
• B. Dopamine
• C. Cortisol
• D. Serotonin

Answer: (C)

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It helps raise blood glucose availability by promoting gluconeogenesis in the liver and mobilizing energy stores, which supports tissues during stress or increased demand. It also helps regulate blood pressure by increasing the sensitivity of blood vessels to catecholamines, helping maintain vascular tone. Cortisol belongs to the glucocorticoid class of steroid hormones, which act inside cells to influence gene expression and metabolism over a longer time scale.

The other options do not fit because they are not steroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands. Eustress refers to a positive form of stress, not a hormone. Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters involved in mood, reward, and other brain functions, not adrenal-produced steroid hormones.